To Find Happiness
by Chaotic-Masterpiece
Summary: Set after Wicked Lovely. All Aislinn wanted was Seth's happiness. She tries to honor his dying request of finding her own happiness, but a vengeful faery has his sights on using Seth's children as pawns. Can anyone truly be happy in this cruel world? A/K
1. To Find Happiness

**First fanfic, let me know what you all think. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot.**

* * *

><p><em>This day was never supposed to happen.<em>

Those same words kept running through the Summer Queen's head as she sat beside her beloved Seth on his deathbed. He opened his eyes and squinted, still bleary from sleep.

She smiled tenderly down at him and took his withered hand, his skin wrinkled and covered in liver spots, placing a gentle kiss to his knuckles. He smiled weakly before collapsing into a fit of violent coughs. With every wheezing breath he winced and Aislinn's heart broke a little more.

_This day was never supposed to happen; Seth was never supposed to die. _

He whispered her name and clasped her hand a little tighter and she was reminded of when they were young, before things got complicated. Before Keenan robbed her of her mortality that would have allowed her to share in Seth's all too mortal life in ways that were impossible for her now.

She would never know what it was like to hear the pitter patter of the little feet of their children and grandchildren. Never be able to savor the simple joy of lounging hot summer afternoon in matching rocking chairs on a simple wooden porch, arthritic hand in arthritic hand. The phrase 'grow old together' never seemed so precious as when she realized she couldn't give him the kind of love he deserved. And it was that very day, fifty short years ago, that she decided to let Seth go.

* * *

><p><em>"Seth, what are we doing?" she asked him solemnly, leveling him with a stare over her mug of tea across the couch.<em>

_"Enjoying a mid-afternoon snack," he replied easily, grabbing a few more pretzels from the bag on the coffee table and munching on them quietly. She saw how his eyes met her stare head on and realized that he was intentionally misinterpreting her question._

_"Seth—" she started._

_"I don't know what you want me to say, Ash," he interrupted. He fiddled with his lip piercing as he looked away from her and stared at the ceiling. "I love you. You know that. I thought that was enough for you."_

_She felt as though she had been punched in the gut. He thought this was about _her?_ "Seth, I am not saying that you don't love me, or that I don't love you. You know that I love you more than anything," she took a deep breath. "But I know that there are things that I just can't give you; things that you deserve_." _She bowed her head so that her hair obscured most of her face. All but her telltale trembling lips. _

_Seth scooted close enough to tuck her hair behind her ears, tilting her chin to face him. "What do you mean, Ash? What more do I need than what is right in front of me? If it means being without you, I can find a way around it." His eyes searched her expression._

_She turned her watery gaze to him. "What about when you get older and want a family? I'm the Summer Queen, what would happen to a half-faerie child? People would try to kill them or turn them into a monster! What happens when you're fifty years old and I'm still stuck like this, frozen in time? What happens when you realize the life you missed out on because of me?" Each sentence got quieter as she expressed her deepest fears. Finally she whispered, "What happens when you _die_?"_

_Seth sat still for a moment, seeming to mull over what she had said. The silence became too much for the Summer Queen and she stood, clearing her throat. _

"_Seth, I will always love you from the bottom of my heart until my dying day, but you deserve more than I can give you. I'm so sorry, Seth, but I can't let you miss out on life because of me. Just please find happiness." Her voice broke on the last word as she turned heel and scurried out of the trailer, leaving golden teardrops in her wake._

"_Ash, wait!" Seth called, but it was too late. If she turned back she wouldn't be able to do the right thing. She would wrap her arms around him and never let go, selfishly keep him all to herself. He deserved more than that, he meant the world to her._

* * *

><p>The same golden tears were streaming down the Summer Queen's face as she gazed down at her beloved Seth, now elderly and breathing his last. He was only seventy-eight. How long would she be condemned to a life without him?<p>

Her life after leaving him had been difficult, adjusting to her new position as Queen of the Summer Court while keeping a watchful eye on Seth. She watched him mourn over their lost love, watched him try to move on and eventually marry.

His wedding day was one of the blackest days she had ever endured, but she put on a brave face and grew him the most beautiful and magnificent flower garden her powers could cultivate. She hid like a coward in the boughs of the great oak tree in his yard when he discovered it.

* * *

><p><em>She saw with an aching heart as he looked around hopefully, only to be disappointed, eventually giving a wistful smile to no one in particular before he murmured just loud enough for her to hear, "I'm trying to be happy, Ash. I love you." He straightened his bowtie one last time before returning inside to his awaiting bride. The woman he had chosen to take her place at his side.<em>

* * *

><p>After that came the babies: two of them. She smiled fondly at the memory of Seth's face as he held his newborn son for the first time, cradling him as if he was made of the most breakable glass. Ecstatic couldn't begin to cover his expression. It was a memory she would cherish for eternity, and she would try to forget the hours she cried that night as she came to grips with the fact that she could never have given him that indescribable joy. They named him Joshua, and later had a little girl that he named Aislinn.<p>

She remember the night she snuck into the baby girl's nursery and simply stared at the sleeping cherubic face of Seth's little princess. She hadn't been careful enough that time.

* * *

><p><em>The night was warm and Seth had left the window open, the perfect opportunity for her to sneak in. She draped her forearms gently over the side of the crib and tilted her head, gazing at the baby's sleeping face. She hadn't even heard him approach before she felt his arms wrap around her carefully and his chin rest upon her shoulder.<em>

"_I hoped you would come," he murmured._

_Her breath hitched and she turned to face him. Before he could open his mouth to speak she kissed him, her eyes closing in abandon. When she pulled away, he licked his lips and gave her a wicked grin; the creases that had begun to line his face over the years making him look more mature and refined. Her heart stuttered._

"_You still taste like sunshine. I could never dream that taste up." She blushed and swatted his arm lightly before sobering, realizing what she had just done; what she had promised herself she wouldn't do._

"_I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. You have a wife and two beautiful children. You're happy now." Her voice grew bolder, as though she were trying to convince herself more than him._

_He nodded silently, stroking her hair. "Yes, I am happy now, happier than I ever expected to be," he chuckled, "even if I am starting to go gray up top." He shook his head for emphasis. "But I have never stopped loving you even for an instant. You, Aislinn, are still the reigning Queen of my heart."_

_She embraced him tightly, traitorous tears running down her face once more as she whispered, "I'll love you as long as I live. I am so glad you have found the happiness you deserve, Seth. Forgive me." She gave him one last kiss in the cheek and left, trying to ignore the regret that gnawed at her as she heard his heavy sigh._

* * *

><p>Now his wife was dead, having died of a heart attack five years ago. His children were all grown and moved away, the oldest with a child of his own. Once they caught word that their father was on his death bed they came running. They were currently on a redeye to Huntsville but they would not arrive for a few hours yet. Just enough time for Aislinn to say goodbye to the one she loved above all else.<p>

His wrinkled face creased into a smile just for her and her heart melted. She leaned down to kiss his withered cheek and he whispered in her ear. "Ash, I need you to hear something." His hoarse voice sounded on the verge of tears.

Aislinn squeezed his hand tightly, "I'm right here, Seth. I'm listening."

"Thank you. Because of you my life has been more than I could have ever imagined."Aislinn hiccupped and let the tears fall freely, liquid gold splashing on his chest.

He wasn't finished. "It hurt like hell when you left, but we managed, didn't we? Now Ash, I need to make one last request." His eyes glistened with tears.

"Yes, baby? What is it?" she asked gently, knowing she would do absolutely anything should he ask.

"Find your own happiness. You deserve it."

"I will, Seth, I promise. If it takes me all of eternity, I will try to find a way to be happy. For you," she sniffled.

He sighed and brought his hand up to caress her cheek. "You're still as beautiful as the day I fell in love with you." He coughed and let his head start to droop back on the pillows. "I'm so tired. Will you sleep next to me Ash, for old time's sake?"

With a muffled sob she nodded and slid into bed next to him, reveling in the feel of his arms around her one last time. She listened to him as he hummed a soft lullaby, one she recognized as the one he sang to his children as he rocked them to sleep. A sad smile came to her face. How would she ever keep her promise to be happy in a world without this wonderful man in it? It seemed impossible.

He drifted to sleep and she turned to face him, pressing kisses to his face and hands. Finally she felt his last breath leave his body before he stilled. Her beloved Seth, the mortal whom she had given her heart to, was dead.

And her world shattered.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, that's chapter one. Please don't hate me for killing Seth. <strong>

**Tell me what you think, please review.**

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	2. To Find Answers

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of it.**

* * *

><p>Keenan stretched lazily in his canopy bed, lean muscles pulled taut. Blue bruises littered his body, varying in shape. He winced as he lightly probed one in the distinct shape of lips on his chest right above his heart. Donia hadn't been careful last night. Every time they met like this the aftermath became more and more painful, although Donia most likely had some burns of her own, he thought with a smirk.<p>

He flopped his head back down on the mound of pillows beneath his head and sighed. Things had certainly changed now that he was a proper Summer King, although it was nothing like he had ever imagined. To think, he spent hundreds of years searching for the right girl to set him free and once he found her she fled to a mortal's embrace. Not that he minded terribly, he did love Donia, and having the chance to be with her was more than he could have ever hoped for.

He just wasn't sure if it was _right_.

Since Beira's death and Donia's ascension to Queen of the Winter Court things had become very different. They were both happy, that much was obvious, but it was difficult to rule a Court while trying to keep the opposing Court's monarch happy as well.

The seasons hardly changed anymore. In an effort to please one another, Keenan and Donia made efforts to keep their powers in balance. Spring turned to autumn, then autumn to spring again, niether one of them fully assuming the roles given to them for the sake of courtesy.

In the back of his mind, Keenan knew it was wrong to keep the seasons in continual limbo so to speak not only for the weakening fey on both sides but for the humans he had strived to protect from Beira's icy death sentence. But now it had become so much of a pattern that breaking it may be seen as a breach of trust. Trust that he had spent years trying to earn from Donia once more.

He also knew that in order to become the King he needed to be for his fey, he would need his Queen. His true Queen.

_Aislinn_.

The name brought so many mixed emotions to the surface and he was having difficulty sorting them out. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples gently, trying to stave off the coming headache.

When she had chosen Seth and led Keenan back to Donia, he had been happy, if a bit wary. It seemed to be the perfect solution, and for a time, it was. There was a fragile bond of trust and respect between the Summer monarchs that made it easier to work together when the time was right. For a while, things seemed to be at peace.

Until Aislinn came to him one afternoon with troubled eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Keenan was reading in his study with the fading sunlight streaming through his window when he heard a light rapping on the door. Closing his book, Keenan sat a bit straighter before answering.<em>

"_Come in."_

_The door opened smoothly on well-oiled hinges and he saw Aislinn's highlight streaked head peeked around the corner somewhat timidly before opening the door a bit wider. Keenan gave her a once over reflexively and quirked a grin when she crossed her arms. _

"_Well?" he asked pleasantly. "Something I can do for you, my Queen?"_

"_No," she replied defensively, and then softened. "Well, maybe. I have some questions about being a… faery," she choked on the last word._

_Keenan grinned; finally something of which he was infinitely more knowledgeable than her precious mortal, despite his professed skills of research. He patted the cushion next to him on the windowsill, a silent invitation. She hesitated before striding over confidently and sitting down with all the grace of a Queen. Her fear of him had lessened considerably, for which he was grateful; however she never quite let her guard down while in his presence. _

_She cleared her throat. "Are there such things as half- faery children?" she asked him quickly, looking down at her hands that were folded in her lap before darting a quick look up at him to gauge his reaction._

_Ah. So _this_ was the reason she sought his counsel. To see if it was possible to carry her mortal's children. Irrational possessiveness flooded his mind. She was _his_ Queen, not the mortal's, _his_. Frivolity and occasional debauchery was the way of summer, but to actually intend to create a child that was not Keenan's made his stomach turn in an unpleasant manner. For a moment, he thought about deceiving her. Telling her all kinds of lies to keep her in the dark until it was too late. _

_Unfortunately, he knew all too well how Aislinn reacted to deceit, especially coming from him. He would be honest with her and deal with whatever choice she may make. _

_Aislinn was fidgeting and studying a spot on the floor with seemingly great detail when he turned his attention to her. _

"_Yes, there are," he began. "They can be very volatile and unstable or perfectly calm and normal. It all seems to depend. Some halflings live tragically short lives or live far longer than expected. Some never have one drop of power at their disposal and others unleash powers that rival pure bred fae. It really all depends on the individual. Granted, it happens, but perhaps not quite so often as one would think." He gave her a searching look. "Some faeries believe halflings to be abominations," he added quietly._

_Aislinn looked slightly overwhelmed, her eyes widening as her mind frantically tried to process all of the possibilities, the risks. "So, if Seth and I were to…have children," she started, "they would be what exactly?"_

"_As I said, it all depends on the case. You, however, my Queen, are a different case entirely. I don't mean to frighten you, but you have enemies. Some have not even shown their faces to you, but still they scheme. A newborn halfling makes a tempting target for a bid at power." He looked at her seriously. "I will be honest with you, Aislinn, there are also those in our court that dislike the agreement we have come to. It is unusual to see a King without his Queen and vice versa. Especially when there seems to be no intent to produce an heir."_

_Aislinn spluttered, giving him a look before attempting to regain her composure. She raised her chin to give him a defiant glare. "Let them think what they will. It's none of their business, none at all. It is _my_ choice." She paused, as if his words were just sinking in. "Wait, if they would try to kill my baby, would they try to kill Seth, too?"_

_Keenan nodded gravely. "Without a doubt. It may even come down to a decision between the two, who means more to you." He saw her lips begin to tremble and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That's just the way things _are_ in our world, Aislinn. Now I know you don't value my opinion very highly, but is that really a world you would force your mortal to live in?"_

_Aislinn took a shuddering breath before calmly brushing off his hand. "Thank you for your advice, Keenan," she said quietly before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her._

* * *

><p>Keenan remembered the days after that. Aislinn would come and go at random hours of the day, not really interacting with anyone. Some says she would lock herself in her room and sob, other days she would behave as if nothing had happened. It was a coin toss as to what her moods would be. At first Keenan thought that she was indeed pregnant with Seth's child and hormones were getting the best of her until one day he found her sitting in a tree, masked by her glamour as she watched with tortured eyes as Seth gave some mortal girl a kiss goodnight.<p>

She had given him up.

It rocked Keenan to his core; it was obvious that she loved him, but how then could she leave him to a mortal life? It took more willpower than Keenan had ever shown and he respected her for it.

The door to his bedroom opened, jolting the Summer King from his thoughts as a blast of cool air filled the room. Donia was back.

She walked over calmly, a small smile on her face. She leaned over to kiss his forehead and he tried to hide his wince at the feeling of her burning cold lips.

"Good morning, Donia," he murmured, grinning up at her. She simply smiled in response, and he couldn't help but notice the feeling of melancholy that emanated from her.

"Aislinn's mortal passed away last night," she said simply. "She was very distressed when I spoke to her."

Keenan's eyebrows raised in question, "Seth is dead? Truly? Of what cause?"

Donia shook her head sadly, her hair swaying gently with the movement. "Mortality. He lived a long life and his heart simply could not beat any longer. It is a shame, he was a good man."

Keenan nodded in agreement before rising out of bed. "I should go see her: comfort her."

"I cannot go with you, I need to tend to my Court," Donia said formally,straightening. "Give her my most sincere apologies." With another quick peck she was gone. Keenan never saw the crystalline tear that froze on her face.

Seth had never been just another mortal to Donia.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, so that was chapter two. This will be an eventual AK fic, I don't hate Donia, I just don't think they fit well together, at least not in this particular plot.**

**Let me know what you think! I am open to constructive criticism, any type of feedback is helpful.**

**Until next time,**

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	3. To Remember Bliss

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

** 2/2/13-Edited a bit, no major changes**

* * *

><p>Donia watched from the shadows, hidden by her icy glamour as Seth's children bid their final farewells to their last remaining parent. The eldest, Joshua, held his younger sister as she shook with the force of her sobs. She looked them over, committing their images to memory. They were exactly as she remembered, Seth's son tall with dark hair and a stern face, his little Aislinn a petite brunette with wide brown eyes like her mother, though it was difficult to tell as they were currently red and bloodshot.<p>

What a pity she would never have the chance to know them personally. Donia had watched them since they were both very small, a guilty pleasure that no one was ever supposed to know about. It was a habit that no one would ever fully understand, least of all Keenan. Something that she had been fully content to leave in the dark until Seth, ever observant Seth, had caught her one evening.

* * *

><p><em>Her hands gripped the wooden frame of the window tightly, resisting the urge to press her face against the glass and cup her hands around her eyes like some child peering in at a shiny toy. <em>

_It was Joshua's birthday; Seth's little angel was turning five today. Donia couldn't help but give her own secretive gift to the little boy, summoning thick, sparkling snow to fall, perfect for creating snowmen. And create them he would. Donia watched with a small smile at his elation as he awoke to fresh snow and scurried to get bundled into his snow gear. Unfortunately, his mother had failed to see how something as mundane as _breakfast_ could wait until he had explored all of the fun to be had outdoors, instead wrestling him into his booster chair and staring at his cereal bowl pointedly._

_For a while, Donia had simply watched in amusement while the ever energetic boy practically bounced out of his seat in his haste to finish his Cheerios and race out into the winter wonderland. Once free, Joshua had sung songs to the open air, out of tune but nonetheless endearing as he steadily and painstakingly worked on his creations. _

_Donia had entertained thoughts of helping him along; after all, what good was being Winter Queen without having a few advantages over your element? However, just as she was about to blow a helpful gust of wind to keep the boy's precariously settled snowman stable, the sound of the back door opening gave her pause. She glanced up and her heart nearly stopped._

_Seth was securing a fleece headband around his sensitive ears as he walked towards his son, snow boots crunching the snow. Donia was trapped by her indecision. For the first time ever, she was beginning to regret giving him the Sight. She looked around desperately for cover before he thought to look to her relatively exposed position next to the house. _

"_Hey, Bud, need some help?" Seth's voice lowered as he came up behind the small boy, now up to his thighs in snow. "I have some mad skills at making snow men, 'cause I'm the coolest dad _ever_, right?" He winked._

_Joshua giggled, "Yeah, Daddy, you can help. But Dad,"_ _his eyes got very serious, "you can't mess them up, got it?" His little gloved finger pointed accusingly at his father and Donia couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, covering her mouth so the sound wouldn't give away her position._

_Luckily, Seth had laughed too, drowning out any sound that may have escaped, taking his index finger and making an X right above his heart before the boy was satisfied, grinning up at his father with rosy cheeks._

_Donia watched as the pair diligently made a family of snowmen; a mom, a dad, a Joshua and a small blob for 'whatever the new baby is gonna be.' It wasn't until Seth's mortal wife called them impatiently in for dinner and cake that Donia noticed the sun had nearly set. Her precious time of living in what might have been was coming to a close for the day. _

_She watched as Seth gave his little boy a gentle shove towards the door, telling him that he would be in soon before straightening and clapping his gloved hands together to get the remaining vestiges of snow off. Joshua nodded and scampered inside, tracking snow onto the rug and smiling sheepishly at his mother's scolding. He peeled off his gloved and blew hot air on his cold fingers before putting them on his even colder cheeks. "Mom, did you see what I made?" his little voice rang excitedly._

"_What are you doing here, Donia?" Seth's voice startled her so badly that she nearly shrieked, snapping her head sharply towards him. His face was calm and composed, questioning but not accusing, merely curious, always curious. She simply stared, unable to do anything else as her pulse hammered through her veins. She had been foolish, and now he was going to scold her and banish her from his life._

"_I, well, Seth, I—" she had never been so tongue tied, so utterly guilty at being caught red handed. _

"_Hey, Donia, it's okay. Relax, I'm not going to get angry, I just want to know why you hang around so often. I don't mind, but I am curious." He smiled at her encouragingly, his face so different without his various piercings._

"_I just," she swallowed. "I just wanted to see how a normal life works. Could have worked, had I not been dragged into this world. If my life wasn't so _complicated_." Tears came unbidden to her eyes as she envisioned a life with Seth. The children they might have had, just as wonderful as Joshua and oh so precious. Watching them grow, blissfully unaware of the evils of her world. Having grandchildren and starting the whole cycle again. Being _happy_._

_Donia sniffled and turned her head so Seth couldn't see her tears. She felt a gentle hand on her arm._

"_Hey, it's alright. No tears, please, you're too strong for that. Listen, I have to go inside before Mandy gets suspicious, but feel free to come around anytime. I don't mind, honest." His tone was ever so gentle and understanding, it nearly broke her heart. He pulled her into a quick, impromptu hug before going back inside._

* * *

><p>So began their unconventional friendship. Something she had cherished and protected above all else. And now it was gone, destroyed by the punishing hand of death. She wiped a tear from her eye; life was so unfair. But dwelling on the past wouldn't bring him back. She cleared her throat and steeled her resolve. Since Seth was no longer here to protect his children she would gladly take that duty. She owed him that much.<p>

Speaking of his children, they were heading towards her. Quickly, she side-stepped just in time before Seth's Aislinn would have run right into her. The girl showed no signs of noticing her other than a shiver as she passed by. Joshua wrapped his arm around his sister as he walked her to her car.

Donia watched them go, still too numb to do anything but stand there and watch as both of their cars disappeared from view. She turned her gaze to Seth's tombstone, slowly moving to stand in front of it.

Flowers littered his resting place, varying in size, shape and color. It was quite obvious, though, which ones were from his Queen Aislinn. Just behind his gravestone was an array of wildflowers so bright and so beautiful it would take the average mortal's breath away. For Donia, it brought nothing but sour bitterness. He never let go of her, endured the heartache for years unending. On a few occasions, he even told Donia of his suffering, saying that she was the only one who could understand, given what she had gone through with Keenan. She had listened silently, giving him comfort since Aislinn would not.

And now that he was gone she thought that _flowers_ would make up for it? How _dare_ she? Donia was sorely tempted to kill every last bloom with her fearsome frost, but held herself in check just in time. No one knew of her relationship with Seth, and for good reason. She wouldn't jeopardize that for one moment of admittedly jealous anger.

Instead she carefully summoned her frost to crystallize one singular bloom. A blood red rose.

She would make things right, one way or another.

He deserved it.


	4. To Understand

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

* * *

><p>Keenan walked slowly towards the courtyard of the mortal Seth's adolescent home. This was not going to go well, he could feel it already. For the past week Aislinn had locked herself in a familiar steel prison, not venturing outside it for any reason. As far as Keenan knew, no one had even spoken to her, most of them understandably apprehensive of the poisonous environment she had chosen to isolate herself in.<p>

He sighed. She had every right to be upset and heartbroken, but he needed to make her understand that life must to go on, not only for herself, but for the faeries depending on her. Keenan surveyed the area with both apprehension and pity. It was obvious from the scorch marks across the various patches of earth and even on the train itself that Aislinn had been violent at some point in her mourning. Despite the unsightly evidence of her pain, Keenan knew that in those spots of punishing fire, new life would grow even richer than before. If only broken hearts could say the same. He took a deep breath to brace himself from the unforgiving steel before going inside.

* * *

><p>The Summer Queen sat in the center of the bed in Seth's old steel train car, staring into the open air, expression vacant. Her lips were chapped and eyes distant with dark circles underneath them. She had curled herself into a ball, arms wrapped around her knees that had been drawn to her chest as she propped her chin atop them. Her hair was hopelessly tangled and seemed to have lost its luster. For a moment Keenan could only stand in the doorway to the compartment and stare in horror.<p>

This was so much worse than he had imagined. Aislinn had almost no energy left and in this iron hellhole, her strength was slowly being sapped from her already depleted reserves. He was shocked to see her skin so pale, with only the barest trace of sunlight left in her skin. Keenan was surprised that she could even raise her head to look at him dully through half lidded eyes.

"Aislinn," Keenan said, looking her over with incredulity, "what are you _doing?_ I understand you are mourning, but you are wasting away."

She simply stared at him for a long moment, not saying anything. Finally she blinked and let out a breath. "Why does it even matter, Keenan?" She hung her head back onto her knees after that, as thought that one sentence has taken an immeasurable amount of precious energy.

"Because, Ash, there are a great deal of beings who _need _you, who are counting on you to ensure their very _survival_. Does that not sound like reason enough to at least take care of yourself?" He raked a hand through his hair. "Surely Seth—"

"_DO NOT SAY HIS NAME!"_ Aislinn shrieked, snapping her head up to glare at him fiercely. Whatever sunshine she had left was now filling her in her fury to the point where it would have blinded him had he not been the Summer King. Her eyes held a hurricane within their depths and she was ready to fight.

Unfortunately, her outburst had shown Keenan that she could be in fact goaded out of her self-imposed shell of despair and he had just struck the right nerve. If it was a fight she wanted, it was a fight he was going to win.

"Why, Aislinn?" he shouted. "So you can sit in this room and turn into a shade because you are too weak to face your life? You are a _coward,_" he spat. "Where is the girl that he fell in love with, so full of strength and life?" He glared down at her, daring her to fight back.

"She died the night he did!" she shot back. "Who are _you_ to judge _me_? You who has probably never found love because you were too busy trying to find your precious Summer Queen. You don't _understand_," she muttered. "How could you even hope to understand when every girl you seduced lives forever because you took their mortality? Never to age or waste away in a hopeless fight against time while you have to watch helplessly." She turned her eyes back to him and Keenan could see the tears that had begun to well in her eyes. "No, Keenan, you just don't understand."

Her words gave him pause. She may have had a point, he didn't understand. He had never had to face the inevitable and irreversible loss of someone he held as dearly as Ash had her mortal. However, she didn't seem to realize why he was here.

"Aislinn," he began softly, walking over to sit beside her on the bed, "perhaps I don't understand the kind of loss you have suffered. Maybe I have never found the love you cherished with your mortal." He reached over to lift her chin to look her in the eye. "But what _you_ don't understand, my Queen, is that every storm must pass. Even the blackest night ends and dawn breaks." She opened her mouth as if to argue, but he put a finger to her lips.

"I'm not finished. I know you are hurting, but you are a regent of a Court that needs you." He brought his finger away from her lips to cup her cheek. "With a King that needs you."

He could see that her anger was fading and with it, the last of her strength as once more her skin took on a pale and sallow color. He needed to get her out of there so he could heal her.

"Keenan?" she murmured, closing her eyes.

"Yes, my Queen?" he answered.

"How do you find happiness?"

* * *

><p>Aislinn Morgan sat alone on a deserted swing set, dragging her bare feet through the cool sand. The cool spring wind blew against her face, biting but welcome. Her mind was far away from a lonely park in Huntsdale.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>But Daddy, I'm not tired!" a three year old Linn protested as her father's strong arms carried her into her bedroom. Pink dominated the room, the walls covered in coloring pages of flowers and princesses, and like any three year old, she had decided that coloring in the lines was irrelevant. Her dad gave her one big bear hug before plopping her gently on her Hello Kitty bed sheets.<em>

"_You're not? Well, Little Linn, I'll tell you what. If I tell you a bedtime story, do you promise to go straight to sleep after?" he asked._

_Her eyes widened in excitement. "Yes, yes! I will! I will, Daddy!" She stood to jump up and down, giggling as Seth grabbed her child size chair from her table. He looked at it dubiously before opting to sit with her on her bed._

"_Now, Little Linn, how am I supposed to tell you a bedtime story when you don't look like you are ready for bed?" he asked, giving a pointed look to her pillow and back at her. _

_She smiled sheepishly and wiggled her tiny body under the sheets and looked up at her father, anxiously waiting for her story._

"_Once upon a time there was a girl named Aislinn," he began. Linn giggled; her favorite stories always had her name in them._

"_She was very nice and beautiful but very shy and careful. You see, Aislinn could see faeries and that made her scared because these faeries were not very nice. One day, the King of the Summer faeries saw her and decided he wanted to make her his Queen. This made Aislinn very scared and so she told her best friend about her problem. _

"_She didn't know until later that her best friend had actually fallen in love with her." His voice grew soft. "He wanted her to stay with him instead of being with the faery King."_

"_Did she love him, too?" Linn asked, entranced._

_He nodded. "But the faery King had already turned her into a faery like him." Linn gasped, her eyes going wide with shock. _

"_Then one day, the evil Winter Queen tried to kill Aislinn for helping the Summer King and with the help of her friends they defeated the Queen. Even though Aislinn was the Summer Queen now, she still got to be with her best friend. They were happy together." _

_Linn looked up at her father curiously as he cleared his throat and looked away. Daddies didn't get sad over bedtime stories; that was silly. He probably just needed water. _

"_The end," he said with a smile._

_Linn furrowed her brow. "Where is the happily ever after?"_

"_Little Linn, remember, she was a faery and he was just a regular boy. He didn't get to live forever. But when they were together, they were happy, and that's what counts, right?" He winked._

_Linn stifled a yawn, "Yeah, just like I'm happy when I'm with you, Daddy."_

"_That's right, Little Linn. Now go to sleep," he kissed her forehead. "I love you so much, goodnight."_

"_Night Daddy, love you." She tucked her hands underneath her pillow and closed her eyes._

* * *

><p>Aislinn wiped a stray tear that found its way down her cheek and let out a shuddering sigh. If only stories like that one came true. She knew that in her father's stories, it was always the human best friend who was the good guy, not the faery King, but she just couldn't see how anyone could want <em>normal<em>.

Sadly, things like that were not real, no matter how she wished them to be.

"If only faery tales came true."

"And if they did?" an unfamiliar voice said behind her.

Her world went dark.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry about the wait! Life got in the way and this chapter was difficult to finish...I'm still not happy with it. <strong>

**I'm sorry, but I love cliffhangers. :)**

**Please review!**

**Until next time,**

**Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	5. To Seek Comfort

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Donia had never thought herself to be a vengeful creature before. Despite the long years of being the Winter Girl and watching Keenan woo a seemingly endless parade of mortal girls; she had never taken out any of her bitterness or exasperation on those unlucky enough to be chosen by the King of Summer. That earned her at least a little credit, she thought, considering she was still very much in love with him at the time, despite her best efforts to become apathetic.<p>

This, however, was different. Bitter and exasperated were not the words that described Donia when she thought of Seth and Aislinn. Enraged and wrathful were perhaps more suited. She didn't know if there was a way to fully sate her burning desire for revenge on Seth's behalf, but she had more than enough time to plot and power to exert. After all, being the Winter Queen did have its perks.

She formed a dagger of ice in her hand and flung it across the room. It bit deeply into the doorframe, making a loud _thunk_ as the door opened. When she saw the figure, Donia smiled.

"Ah, Evan. My Summer fey. Just who I wanted to see." Her eyes gleamed.

* * *

><p>Aislinn looked down at the goblet of summer wine in her hand with suspicion. Keenan had assured her that it was not laced with any kind of sedative to force her to take a break from her duties as Summer Queen, but she wasn't so sure. The look in his eyes had been a little too expectant, too hopeful. She swirled it around the goblet gently as she looked around the bedroom she had claimed as her own.<p>

Maybe she did need a break. It had been three days since her breakdown in Se—_his_ train car, and since then she had been working nonstop. Aislinn had heard of people throwing themselves into their work after experiencing a loss to take their mind off of it and avoid coming to grips with their grief but she couldn't bring herself to care; she was much too busy for that. She reveled and danced to the point of hysteria, blew fresh life into nearly dead plants all around the city and had developed quite the diplomatic side as she listened to disputes and grievances among her fae. And all without a decent night's sleep.

That's not to say that she didn't sleep, but rather that she never seemed to get enough rest before the nightmares began to torment her. Of course, she could never recall the nightmares after she woke, although she desperately tried to hold on to them. The only thing that stayed consistent in her nightly torment was _his_ face, and at times she thought it was almost worth it just to see him again.

The Summer Queen sighed and took a long drink from the goblet in her hand, savoring the languid taste of summer wine. Her eyes closed in relaxation and she felt a small kick of her power stir. She didn't taste anything out of the ordinary, but that didn't mean very much when sedatives were concerned. She took another sip, loving the way the wine tickled her senses and made her feel just a little more _alive_.

"Keenan," she called softly.

He appeared in the doorway. "Yes, my Queen?" He gave her a small smile.

"Did you put anything in this? I feel…I mean my power…it's…" she trailed off, unable to find the words she was looking for.

"No, Ash. That's just how summer wine is. Makes you feel better, warmer."

She beckoned him closer. He gave her a searching look before moving over to where she was seated on her bed and setting himself down next to her.

"Listen, I just wanted to thank you. I know I went a little crazy a while back and you brought me back to where I was needed." She cleared her throat.

Keenan tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I am your King, Aislinn. I am here for you whenever you need me. I know you think of me as simply a business partner, but I can be your friend if you let me. You don't have to feel alone."

The sincerity of his words broke her heart and a tear made its way down her face. She _did_ feel alone. Even though she tried to keep her distance from _him _when he was still alive, she knew that should she call, he would come back to her because he loved her.

Now he was gone and she simply felt lost.

Aislinn sniffed and Keenan tenderly wiped her eyes. Then he suddenly stood and offered her his hand.

"Come with me, I want to show you something." He smiled at her encouragingly.

Ash couldn't help it, she hesitated. Did she really want to go with Keenan and try to have a good time? It felt almost wrong to have fun when her love lay six feet underground. For a moment she almost shook her head no when Seth's words whispered in her ear.

"_Find your own happiness. You deserve it."_

Maybe she didn't deserve to be happy after what she had put him through, but she would be damned if she didn't at least try her hardest to make his last wish come true.

She mustered up a grin and took Keenan's outstretched hand.

"Ready when you are."

* * *

><p>The ground was wet with dew and Linn could feel that her clothes were already damp when she woke. She groaned and brought her hand to the back of her head where she could already feel a splitting headache coming on.<p>

Slowly she sat up and looked around. She was now on the other side of the park and it was nighttime. She blinked a few times. _How did I get all the way over here?_

That was when she remembered the voice. Immediately, all of her senses kicked into overdrive as she whipped her head around to look behind her.

She was alone.

The shrill beeping of her cell phone made Linn jump as she quickly brought her hand to the right front pocket of her jeans where she always kept her cell, only to find it was empty. Linn furrowed her brow and patted down her clothes, finally finding it hidden in the pocket of her jacket.

She flipped it open to find that her battery was nearly dead and that she had four missed calls from her brother. She looked at the time. It was nearly midnight. Joshua was probably—

She did a double take. Next to the clock on the phone was the date. There was no way it was right. The calendar on her phone said that three days had passed.

Three days that she had absolutely no recollection of.

She dropped her phone as if it had bitten her and scrambled backwards. She raked a hand through her chocolate hair. Someone was screwing with her. She had just lost her dad and now someone had the nerve to pull _this_?

Whoever it was, they were going to get a piece of her mind.

Her cell phone beeped again. She had a text message from an unknown number.

_Hope you had a wonderful time, love. _

_See you again soon._

Then her phone died.

* * *

><p>Joshua rubbed his tired eyes as he lightly bounced his son to try to get him back to sleep. The little guy had a cold and had not found it necessary to sleep through the night for the past week.<p>

Technically, Dexter was not his _biological_ son, since he was the son of his girlfriend and a drunken one night stand, but Joshua was more than willing to fill the role of Dad. He smoothed Dexter's blonde curls down on his head and began to hum quietly. The toddler yawned one last time before finally succumbing to sleep.

Joshua let out a sigh before placing the boy in his crib. "'Night, Dex. I love you, pal." He was just about to shut the door when the doorbell rang.

Dexter began to wail and Joshua clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. Whoever was at the door at midnight when he had _just_ put the baby to sleep was in for it. Quickly he collected his son and walked to the door.

"Who is it?" he called, bouncing the baby once more.

"Josh, let me in please. It's me, Linn," his sister's voice answered.

Joshua rolled his eyes; of course it was his sister. Not answer her phone for three days and then show up at his doorstep at midnight, she really had a knack for timing. He opened the door.

She looked shaken. Her hair was rumpled and her eyes were wide. He ushered her in quickly and shut the door.

"I'm sorry, Josh. I just didn't want to be alone."

He gave her a searching look. "Let me get Dex back to sleep and then we'll talk okay?"

She nodded.

Joshua took Dexter back to his room and softly sang to him. The boy was already exhausted and fell asleep again once more. Joshua wondered what had her so shaken that she would come to him in the middle of the night.

Actually, he supposed that he was really the only one she could come to, now that their Dad was gone.

He walked back into the den where his sister sat on the couch, fidgeting. She looked up at him and he saw the panic in her eyes.

"What's got you spooked, kid?" he asked quietly, nudging her shoulder as he sat down beside her.

"I don't know, Josh. I just—now don't freak out. I need you to believe me," she warned. At his nod she began to tell him about the park and the voice.

"So…you blacked out for _three days_?" Joshua asked incredulously. "Linn, were you on anything? Be honest."

Linn gaped at him. "You think that I was on _drugs?_ Josh, I have never done drugs, you know that!"

He held up his hands in a 'I mean no harm' gesture. "Grief affects us all in different ways, I wouldn't have blamed you. I just need facts if we are to talk to the police. Is that what you want to do?"

She shrugged. "What if they don't believe me?"

"Aislinn, it would be better to tell them than to wait for it to happen again. For right now, I think you should stay with me in Mom and Dad's old house here. Melinda and I are moving in to this house soon anyway since Dad left it to me. We'll sort it out." He pulled her into a hug as she clung to him tightly.

"I hope so, Josh. I just don't have a good feeling about this," she said, eying the window.

She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw movement from the shadows.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go! I wanted to get this one done before I go on vacation. <strong>

**Let me know what you think! I truly appreciate reviews.**

**Until next time,**

**Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	6. To Ponder Dreams

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

** 2/2/13-Edited a bit, no major changes**

* * *

><p><em>Linn sat on a throne of hard stone, marble from the looks of it. It had a high back and arm rests that were carved in intricate patterns of what looked to be ancient symbols. She looked around, confused and wary: something wasn't right here.<em>

_She saw more symbols on the walls around her, also made of stone. The air smelled stale and stagnant, as if the room was almost never used. She looked for the source of the dim light that illuminated her current surroundings._

_That was when she began to hear the whispers. They were soft at first, hesitant almost. Linn gulped and began to fidget with her fingernails, a nervous habit that she could never seem to break herself of. It didn't matter where the light was coming from anymore, so long as it stayed lighted, it would seem she had bigger problems at the moment. The whispers grew louder and shadows began to dance on the stone walls of the place she found herself in. _

_Linn wasn't ashamed to admit it: she was frightened. Terrified, even. She had no clue where she was or what she was doing here. The strange symbols on her chair began to glow a hellfire red, pulsing to the emerging beat of the whispers as it slowly made its way into a chant. Linn did the only thing she could think of doing: she left._

_Or tried to, anyway. Just as she had moved to jump out of her current seat, two shadowy figures gripped her biceps and dug what felt like claws into her flesh, nearly piercing. Their momentum pushed her back into the throne and began crooning into her ear in a language she couldn't understand._

_A whimper escaped her lips as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye._

_At this point the voices that had been whispering were now a cacophony of sounds that all inexplicably lined up to one pulse; one steady beat that Linn felt echo as a throb of heat from the throne beneath her. The voices got faster, and Linn felt herself approaching _something_. She couldn't tell what it was, and she was pretty sure she didn't want to find out. _

_She jerked and struggled in the grasp of her shadowy captors and she accidentally jostled one of them too suddenly for it to react because instead of tightening its grip, she managed to slip her arm out of its dangerous grasp. _

_Everything in the room stopped instantly in that moment. It was as if the entire room was holding its breath. She looked down at her arm. Thin scratches had caused small beads of blood to gather at the surface of her skin. _

_In an instant, a thunderous boom shook the room and Linn bolted to the wall to hide. Her eyes involuntarily shut tight as she flattened her body against the wall, hands splayed as wide as they would go and desperately trying to find a place to grip. _

_She heard the unmistakable sound of stone scraping stone and she knew that a doorway had just been opened and therefore an escape route, but she could not bring herself to open her eyes to look in fear of what she would see coming through the door. Instead, she stayed absolutely silent and still._

_The room that had just moments ago been chaotic and thrumming with energy was now silent as the grave, a thought that gave Linn no measure of comfort, considering she was most likely the target for whatever was going on here. _

_Linn had expected to hear the thudding of boots or a scuff of sneakers across the floor to alert her of where the potential threat was. She thought that perhaps it would help her to be better prepared to defend herself, should this particular brand of trouble be aimed at her. _

_She got absolutely no warning, however, as she cowered against the wall, bleeding and frightened and terrified to open her eyes. All she got was the feeling of warm breath on her forehead before she heard a soft voice speak to her._

"_Did they harm you, love?"_

_The voice was even, controlled, undoubtedly male and had a slight British accent. It was murderously angry and yet… familiar._

_The voice in the park._

* * *

><p>With a gasp Aislinn opened her eyes and shot up from where she was sleeping on Joshua's couch. Her shirt was plastered to her back by sweat and her legs trembled.<p>

_A dream_. It had been a bad dream, that's all.

Linn's thundering pulse claimed otherwise. She put a clammy head to her forehead and tried to catch her breath. It had been so _vivid_: vivid and terribly, terribly familiar. She couldn't seem to shake the awful feeling of déjà vu that came over her as she replayed her nightmare over and over again, like a car accident that she simply couldn't look away from.

Linn sucked in a deep breath and pushed up the sleeve of her tee shirt. She sneaked a glance at her left bicep. Her heart sank as she saw with unmistakable clarity, four parallel and horizontal cuts that had scabbed over.

It had been a memory.

* * *

><p>Evan waited in the parlor of the Summer Court, holding a gift from the Winter Queen. The rowan man looked around at the once familiar settings with a kind of nostalgic fondness. He wondered how his life would have been had Keenan not assigned him to stand guard over the new Winter Girl at the time.<p>

Perhaps he still would have been a member of the Royal Guard, trusted and respected by the regents of Summer and the rest of the court. Maybe he wouldn't feel so drained all the time by the constant strain of Winter on his senses, the cold stillness that was so foreign to his Summer nature. Evan sighed. But then he wouldn't have grown so close to Donia.

Donia who handled all situations with poise and grace, Donia who bore the burden of being the Winter girl for decades on end without allowing it to drive her to madness as it would have for so many others. Donia who still loved the man she couldn't have despite his constant pursuit of other girls. Donia, who finally allowed herself give Keenan a real chance while silently resenting the immortality he had given her without her consent.

Donia who saw right through him. Donia who would never love him the way he loved her, adored her, _worshipped_ her. Evan could do nothing but obey her and try to please her in any way he could to get her to realize what was right in front of her face. That he could love her so much more than Keenan could. That he would do _anything _for her.

And that included delivering a gift to the Summer Queen with specific instructions not to let Keenan ever know of it. It was task that Evan liked to think required a certain amount of trust and skill: something that made Evan irreplaceable to his Queen.

The gift in question was in a small box wrapped in a black silk ribbon. Evan had been given no information as to what was inside other than it was for Aislinn and only Aislinn.

The door opened and Evan looked over his shoulder, tensing. It was Tavish. The silver haired fae walked over to Evan with only mild surprise written upon his stern features.

"Ah, Evan. What a pleasant surprise to see you. Admittedly, I imagined you would have returned to your court sooner, now that the Winter Girl turned Queen needs no more protection from those of Summer, but at last you have come home." He nodded with a small smile. "The King will be most pleased."

With his wise eyes and sharp wit, Tavish missed very little and had always made Evan feel somewhat small. This was no exception. Evan swallowed with some difficulty before meeting the older faery's eyes.

"Actually, I am here on orders from my Queen. I…am not returning to the Summer court."

Tavish looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although it does sadden me, I cannot say that you answer surprises me. You have always been a man of honor, loyalty and," he added with a small smile, "passion."

Evan couldn't fight the blush that blossomed over his cheeks, was he really that transparent in his affections? He shook his head. He wasn't here to discuss his court or his Queen: he was here on orders.

The rowan man cleared his throat. "May I be granted an audience with the Summer Queen?"

"I'm sorry, but both of the regents are not here, they have been out since yesterday afternoon." A smile threatened to tug at his lips. "One can only hope it is for good reason. The Queen has not been in the best of spirits since the passing of her mortal. Hopefully the King is convincing her that life is worth more than death and constant misery." Tavish turned his gaze back to Evan.

"Is there a message I can convey to my Queen upon her return?"

Evan hesitated, unsure whether he could trust Donia's gift with the most trusted advisor of the Summer court. Keenan was _never_ to know about any of it, but under orders from his King, Tavish would tell him.

As he opened his mouth to answer, the door opened once more, announcing the arrival of the regents of Summer.

* * *

><p>Keenan waltzed into the parlor with his Queen right beside him. She was smiling and still wearing the crown of daisies he had fashioned for her. Her power had not quite returned to her fully, but Keenan could already see the spark beginning to fill her eyes once more.<p>

Last night had been a success. He had taken Aislinn to a small concert in a coffeehouse downtown. The music had been mediocre but the look on her face was full of wonder as she watched the lead singer play an intricate melody on the guitar and pour his heart into the soulful lyrics. Once, Keenan had even caught her nodding her head to the beat in an endearing little bob.

From there, the night had gone pleasantly, simply walking around aimlessly, discussing whatever came to mind. Keenan had been more than happy to listen to absolutely anything that she had been willing to share with him. He could only hope that her trust in him was growing stronger, because quite frankly, he knew she needed him, now more than ever before. She may not have been willing to admit it at the time, but as they lay under the stars, he heard the quiet sound of a muffled sob and he had reflexively reached out his hand in comfort, expecting to be rebuffed.

Instead, Ash had readily accepted the comfort of his touch and laced her fingers with his. He had not said a word, simply grinning ear to ear inwardly at the small zing of current that passed through them at the contact.

She had drawn breath to say something when the meteor shower began; the very thing Keenan had wanted her to see. As the first few meteors shot across the sky, dazzling and brilliant, whatever his Queen had wanted to say was deemed irrelevant as she gasped and squeezed his hand a little tighter.

* * *

><p>"<em>It's beautiful, isn't it?" he whispered.<em>

_She didn't say anything for a few moments, merely stared; transfixed on the evening sky. Finally, she let out a sigh. _

"_I have never seen so many of them. It's wonderful." She turned on her side to look at him. "Thank you, Keenan. I needed this." She smiled at him shyly._

_He responded with an answering smile and a squeeze to her hand, now growing warm. "I was hoping you might say that." He winked._

_Suddenly Aislinn lunged forward and kissed him with an almost frenzied intensity. He was stunned, eyes wide and sitting absolutely still. The heat between them was undeniable, but he never imagined her to be this forward. Ever. _

_Her fingers ran through his hair and she pulled her face from his, giving him one smoldering look before reaching to kiss him again. _

_Gently but firmly, Keenan grabbed her face in his hands and restrained her so that he could look at her. She stared back at him as he carefully studied her expression. _

"_Aislinn, what brought this on, may I ask? Not that I'm objecting, mind you, but it seems a bit out of character for you, my Queen." His tone was even and careful, lest she do something entirely unexpected once more._

_She closed her eyes and brought her hand up to cover his. "I just don't want to feel so alone."_

"_My Queen, you are never alone. I am always here, but don't think that you need to do anything to keep me close to you, merely say the word," he smiled._

_She looked at him with watery eyes and tried to smile. "Could you just hold me?"_

* * *

><p>And so he had, for the remainder of the night. Hours passed and still they had remained on that grass-covered hill watching meteors fall down to Earth until the wee hours of the morning.<p>

A connection had been forged between the two of them, Keenan was certain of it.

The Summer King sneaked another look at her from the corner of his eye, looking for any sign of regret as he had surreptitiously been doing all morning. So far he had found none. The thought pleased him greatly.

"My King," Tavish's voice brought his mind back to the present.

Keenan looked at his advisor and saw that the guard he had assigned Donia all those years ago was back.

"Evan, welcome," he said cordially.

He nodded at Keenan and then immediately fixed his attention on Aislinn. It was strange, if Evan was back to stay, he would report to Keenan for his instructions, not the Queen.

"Queen Aislinn, may I be granted a private audience?" Evan asked.

Keenan could see that she was a bit surprised at the request but nodded with a half-smile. As they left the room, Keenan saw something in Evan's carefully guarded fist.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't _right_.


	7. To Vanish

**Hello everyone! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All credit goes to Melissa Marr...**

* * *

><p>Aislinn led the rowan guard into the study, settling herself in the chair behind the desk before turning her attention back to him. She watched as he carefully shut the door and locked it.<p>

Cold shivers raced down the Summer Queen's spine. She cleared her throat. "So, Evan, was it? What can I do for you? Are you coming back to court?"

The rowan shook his head, walking across the room to where she was situated stood across the desk. "I am not returning to court, and I have come for your blessing in breaking my oath to this court in favor of another."

Ash frowned. She really didn't know much about breaking oaths or any of those things, usually Keenan handled them. "Maybe you should speak with Kee—"

"No!" he interjected a little too loudly. "Your Highness, I need you to understand. I fear the King will see such an action as treason. Please, allow me this, as my final request as your subject." He looked desperate and slightly panicked.

Ash hesitated, something felt off. No matter how much her common sense told her to call for Keenan, the look on his face broke her resolve. She nodded and he seemed to let out a breath.

"I am most appreciative," he said with obvious sincerity. "Before we begin however, I would like to bestow a gift upon you; an apology for not welcoming you to court fully when you ascended to the crown as I was with the Winter court." He unclenched his fist and in it was a small rectangular little box, tied with a black ribbon.

Aislinn eyed it with apprehension. He was acting very strangely and now he wanted to give her something. She snuck a glance at the door that Evan had locked before approaching her and wondered how quickly guards would come to her aid should she scream.

The rowan man reached across the table and placed the box in her hands, staring at it as he retreated back to his chair. He looked almost…frightened.

She pulled the ribbon out of its bow with trembling hands. Slowly she began to open the box, lifting the cover.

A loud banging on the door made her jump.

"Open up." It was Keenan.

As Aislinn moved to stand, Evan gripped her wrist in a forceful grip.

"Please open it. It's urgent. _Please._"

With one last look to the door, Aislinn threw caution to the wind and opened the box.

* * *

><p>Keenan was about to knock once more when Aislinn screamed.<p>

"Guards!" he shouted, throwing his body at the door. He felt his power rushing to the surface but feared how much damage he would inflict when his emotions were running this high, fueled by copious amounts of adrenaline. He shrieked for his guards once more before throwing caution to the wind and blasting a hole through the door with his sunlight.

The edges of the door were still aflame when he barreled through it. He quickly scanned the room. Evan was gone and his Queen was crumpled on the floor, not breathing.

Fear flooded his senses as he raced over to Aislinn. Embedded into her neck was an iron dart. Keenan turned around to address the guards that were now pouring through the doorway.

"Find our best healer, now. Scour the grounds and the entire city if you have to. Find Evan and bring him to me. Alive," he barked. Immediately, the room was empty once more.

With utmost care, he gently removed the dart from her neck. He saw that the skin around the wound was turning a sickly blue and winced. He tried to keep his breathing under control; it did no good to panic when his Queen needed him.

"My King, what happened?" It was the horrified voice of Diedra, their best healer.

"She has been hit with an iron dart. I think some sort of poison was injected in her system. She's turning blue," his voice grew louder in volume.

"My King, I'm going to try and suck out the poison before it spreads too far. Is she breathing?" Diedra's voice was calm even in the face of his obvious distress.

"No," he choked on the word. Suddenly, he had an objective. Immediately, he began to perform CPR, pushing as much of his healing power into her as he possibly could. Her own power responded and moved to her lungs, jump starting her body once more.

Keenan nearly cried in relief when he heard Aislinn take a shuddering breath of air. Quickly he smoothed back her hair and spoke to her quietly, reassuring her.

"I think most of the poison is gone, my King, she should recover." There was relief in the healer's voice as well.

"Find out what kind of poison that was and who made it and report to me," he ordered, dismissing her from the room.

She left and Keenan finally allowed himself to breathe. He leaned down and kissed Aislinn's forehead, sharing a bit more power to aid her healing. She sighed.

"What happened to you, Ash?" he asked softly.

"Evan, he gave me a gift and I—" she coughed a few times. "I opened it. There was a little bang and a burning in my neck. He looked at me and was horrified. Like he didn't know what it would do. Then I woke up and you were here." She mustered a weak smile. "No biggie."

Keenan didn't laugh. In fact, he didn't even crack a smile. His thoughts were murderous. When he got his hands on Evan and whoever planned this, they were going to beg for death by the time he was finished with them.

But for now, he and his Queen needed rest.

* * *

><p>Donia stood in the bedroom of little Dexter and frowned. She had been watching him for the past few days and simply could not place what was different about him. On the outside, he was a toddler of around two years of age with blonde curly hair and light eyes, and try as she might, she couldn't find anything unusual about him, other than that feeling in her gut.<p>

Dexter looked over in her direction and babbled, surprising the Queen of Winter. He should not have noticed her presence. However, stranger things had happened with blind mortals and animals, so she supposed it wasn't that far of a reach. Besides, whom was he ever going to tell?

The baby began to fuss as it crawled over to the bars of his crib, never touching the edges. That was when Donia began to feel uncomfortable. Sure she had watched Seth's children from infancy, but she never presumed to be allowed to _touch_ them. Even in her mortal life, she had never been exposed to small children and felt distinctively out of her element.

Meanwhile, Dexter's cries were growing increasingly louder and he was reaching out his little arms towards her in a plea to be held and coddled. He was silent for a moment and Donia thought that she was safe, that perhaps it was a fluke.

Little did she know, he was merely catching his breath for another round of squalling. Sure enough, the obnoxious sound returned with a vengeance and Donia nearly covered her ears to give her poor ears a rest.

She also realized that it was only a matter of moments before Joshua came in to comfort his son. She had to either act now or leave. Indecision wracked her mind: what if she hurt him? What if she was discovered? What if he just yelled louder when she held him? What if Joshua came in anyway to find his son missing, lost in a cloud of glamour, or worse yet, seemingly floating in midair?

Her mind was racing faster than she could put thoughts together and just as Donia had made up her mind to help the poor dear; the tired form of Joshua opened the door.

"Dexter, why couldn't you wait to have another meltdown when your mother was here? Then I could be sleeping." With a heavy sigh, Joshua expertly swung the boy up into his arms in a practiced move. Immediately, Dexter's focus shifted from the faery by the window to his father holding him, laying his tired head on Joshua's shoulder.

Donia let out a small breath or cold air, forgetting herself. Joshua shivered slightly and she flinched. Whoops.

"Sure, now you sleep," Josh muttered. "I swear, it's like you are _allergic_ to that crib."

Donia moved closer to the window and stole a glance outside. Summer fey were everywhere. This was not good, not good at all. Donia once again thanked her lucky stars that Dexter's room was on the ground level as she slipped out the window and into the night.

* * *

><p>Linn looked like crap, she decided as she checked her reflection in the mirror. Dark circles were beginning to form under her bloodshot eyes, a testament to the amount of sleep she had gotten since her nightmare.<p>

It had been two nights ago and still Linn was terrified to go to sleep, running on coffee and energy drinks to get her through the dark and menacing nights.

After she had woken from that awful dream, she had run into her brother's room, babbling and gesturing wildly. He had grunted and rolled over, letting her know in no uncertain terms that whatever had happened, three o'clock in the morning was not the time to discuss it.

Since then, Linn had been hesitant to tell her brother about it at all. She was beginning to suspect her own mental instability, blame it on grief. How else was she supposed to rationalize what she had seen and the evidence that still adorned her arm?

But even her own reassurances that it was not real in the slightest did nothing to ease her fear of dreaming, and she was running out of time before her body would shut down without her consent. She was already on her fifth cup of coffee and no more awake for it. She looked idly at the sunset with growing dread.

Just as she grudgingly laid her head down on the cushions of the couch eyelids like lead weights that refused to be lifted any longer. She absently felt her limp body being lifted. Her brother always seemed to take better care of her than she took care of herself, but maybe that's what being an older sibling was about. Either way, she was grateful that he was carrying her to her room, she honestly didn't know if her legs would have supported her.

"Mmm, thanks," she murmured sleepily, snuggling her head into his chest.

"Anything for you, love." Linn's blood froze in her veins. He was real. He was here. He had her in his grasp.

Her eyes shot open

He had hair the color of sunshine and eyes the color of absinthe. He had a strong jaw and high cheekbones. In all reality, he was very handsome, dashing, even. But at the moment Linn had other things to worry about, like the fact that he was kidnapping her. Again.

She opened her mouth to scream but before she could do anything, one muttered word from the man above her left her vocal chords paralyzed and her limbs non responsive.

He flashed her a conspiratorial grin, displaying straight white teeth. "Wouldn't want you waking dear big brother now would we? He has had a long week with the little tyke, hasn't he?" His tone was low and smooth, just the way she remembered it to be. Sinfully smooth.

Before she knew it, she was being carried effortlessly across the backyard and into the woods. Linn felt increasingly helpless the farther she got from her childhood home. She didn't know if she would ever see it again, or if she would ever see her brother again for that matter. The thought brought tears to her eyes. He would think she ran away, left without so much as a goodbye.

By the time she had thought to look at her surroundings, they had already passed into unfamiliar territory. They had to be a half-mile from the house at the very least. Linn chewed on her bottom lip and sneaked a glance up at her captor once more. He caught her gaze and smiled pleasantly, as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with snatching her from her own home.

Mildly painful tingles rushed across her body. The feeling was nearly identical to when her foot would lose blood and fall asleep. It was alarming and receded as nearly as it had come over her.

"Ah, here we are," the blonde man said. She looked around and found that there were creatures filling the woods she had believed to be empty. She saw what looked like a woman with eyes that had slits for pupils and distinct dark green stripes that wrapped around her body. She smiled at Linn and displayed two rows of serrated teeth before bowing her head reverently to the man carrying her.

Linn's heart nearly stopped. Had she not still been under the influence of whatever the man carrying her did, she was quite certain that she would have been screaming bloody murder and attempting to escape for all she was worth. Unfortunately circumstances being what they were, the best she could muster was a panicked look back up at her only hope of protection from these strange creatures.

He took one look at her expression and chuckled. _Chuckled_. As if he was in no way affected by their surroundings and thought she was overreacting.

"Soon, love, soon I'll explain," he soothed. His bright green eyes stared down at her with an intensity that was almost frightening. Linn turned her head into his chest to avoid it.

Soon after she heard the creak of a door being opened and a cool burst of air as she was carried indoors. She heard murmured voices above and around her, but her adrenaline was burned up and her previous exhaustion was returning with a vengeance. She was set down on a bed with cool cotton sheets and heard the blonde man whisper another strange word.

Linn jerked, suddenly able to move again and snatched the pillow from under her head to use as a weapon if need be.

"Who are you and what do you want? I'm not in the mood for games; just let me go home. Please." She was tired, _so_ tired, but at the moment, sleep was not a luxury she could afford.

"Linn, please, love, can we not do this right now? You're obviously exhausted. We'll talk in the morning." He drew nearer to the bed as though to touch her and she raised the pillow, poised to strike.

"No! I don't know who you think you are, but you can't just go around _kidnapping_ anybody you feel like," she huffed.

He looked at her evenly. "I didn't kidnap just _anybody_. I kidnapped _you_, something you will grow to accept or face the consequences." His bright eyes turned steely.

Linn did not like the sound of that, not one bit, but she knew when to lie low and when to fight, and right now was not the time to test his boundaries when she was running on fumes. Slowly, she lowered the pillow back into her lap. "Can I at least know your name?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

He flashed a smile at her. "Cyrus, at your service, love." He brought a hand to her forehead softly. "Now _sleep_," he whispered.

His blazing green eyes were the last things that Linn saw as she lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Donia was sitting on her throne of ice, quiet and calm on the surface, but a maelstrom of fear and doubt beneath her cool façade. She had evaded the Summer guard with relative ease, considering she was not their chief concern, but she had no idea how long suspicion would remain off of her.<p>

She had known that exacting revenge on Seth's behalf would be risky, but she thought that sending a proxy of summer origin would leave no trail back to her; however, Evan very well may have been spotted.

Despite being a good friend and loyal companion, Evan was not one that she confided in, despite his best efforts to earn her trust, giving his own trust to her blindly. It was something that would bring his downfall, because even if he evaded the Summer court's grasp and came back to Donia, she was prepared to kill him to ensure his silence about her involvement. The weakened Winter court needed their Queen and did not need a war with the also weakened Summer court. She could not be found out.

He was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. For Seth.

* * *

><p>Keenan walked towards Donia's icy domain with growing dread. This was a conversation that he really did not want to have, but it was necessary. Every possible lead to the assassination attempt on his Queen had to be explored fully. As much as Keenan loathed to admit it, Donia was a likely suspect, considering her past with Evan.<p>

But _why_ would Donia do that to Aislinn? Especially when Aislinn had grudgingly agreed to let the seasons remain stagnant so that Donia and Keenan could be together? It didn't make any sense.

Keenan heaved a sigh as he approached the doorway. Donia meant very much to him, that was certainly true, but would he be able to cut ties with her should she turn out to be the traitor? He wasn't sure, but one thing was certain, she was his weakness. As King, he could not afford to show weakness when it came to his court.

_Or my Queen,_ Keenan thought idly as he knocked on the door.

One of the Scrimshaw Sisters, Keenan didn't care to remember her name, answered the door. The corpse like girl said nothing; only stared and waited for him to state his business with her large black eyes.

"Show me to your Queen, if you please," said Keenan.

Without a word, she turned heel and walked into the house, a silent invitation. Keenan followed slowly; procrastinating the inevitable. He had cherished the years he had been able to share with Donia as equals. To feel needed and wanted was something that Keenan had never received or even expected to receive from Aislinn, but was given freely by Donia.

At least, at the beginning it was freely given. As time went by, Donia began to drift away from him emotionally, becoming more secretive and private. It stung, not knowing what she was doing or why she didn't feel comfortable confiding in him any longer. They still held passion for one another, but she grew increasingly bold, laying on power trips and making him feel trapped.

At the beginning he had been angry, lashing out to try to bring things back to how they were, until one night.

* * *

><p>"<em>Tell me you want me," Donia whispered in Keenan's ear as he laid kisses against her achingly cold neck.<em>

"_You already know that I want you, Don. Always."_

"_More than your Queen. Tell me," her voice grew louder, "tell me that I can make you happier than she could." Her voice was low and vague, as though she weren't really speaking about him._

_Keenan opened his mouth to tell her what she wanted to hear, as usual, but he choked on his words. He couldn't lie to her and say that Aislinn couldn't make him happy. She was his Queen, his chosen partner for eternity by Fate's own design._

"_You make me happy," he settled for instead._

_She shoved him back, her hands burning his chest and leaving frost that quickly dissolved into steam. _

_Keenan's emotions had always been volatile, and Donia had just dropped the straw that broke the camel's back. His hands pulsed with sunlight as he gripped the tops of her arms. "Donia, I can't lie to you. I love you, but she's my _Queen_. Remember that I chose you and be happy." His voice held a bite of frustration, it was a conversation they had had already that week._

_Her voice was cold as ice. "You chose me when I was mortal but _I_ chose _you_ when I became Queen. _Your_ Queen didn't want you. She still doesn't want you and chose a mortal boy above you, your _highness_," she spat. "I am all that you have and you owe me for stealing the life I could have had."_

_The words cut deep, shredding his confidence and pride in one fell swoop. Every time he was reminded that he was unwanted by the very girl that was made for him he flinched. The fact that it was Donia who was hurting him to fill her own insecurities made it even worse. _

_But she was right. He had many sins to atone for and still loved her. He convinced himself that the good times were worth it to endure her abusive words. Eventually, he would get his Donia back._

* * *

><p>Things had not gotten much better, but they also had not gotten worse, and Keenan took comfort in that fact. She was still Donia. Surely she wouldn't put him through that much pain of losing his long sought after Queen if she loved him. She couldn't.<p>

It was with that thought that Keenan entered the parlor of the Winter Queen. She sat upon her throne of ice and smiled when she saw him. "Keenan, what brings you here? I thought I wasn't going to see you until next week."

Keenan offered a weak smile and looked for a place to sit near Donia. Within seconds, Donia had crafted a chair of ice for him to sit in. He cleared his throat. "Someone attacked Ash last night."

Donia looked shocked. "Oh no. Is there anything I can do? Oh, honey, you must have been devastated." She stood and went to him, crouching down to his eye level.

Keenan couldn't help it, he scrutinized her every reaction and came up short. She had not asked if Aislinn was alright or who was responsible. She merely asked if _he_ was doing well. He knew that Donia held no particular love for Aislinn, but surely she would at least be curious. She sounded as if she had already known.

Clearing his head of doubts, he replied. "I was worried, certainly, but she is fine."

He may have imagined it, but he thought he saw the slight hardening of Donia's eyes, even as she smiled and told him that she thought that was "fortunate."

Keenan cleared his throat. Here came the difficult part. "It was Evan, your guard, who tried to kill Aislinn. Surely, you know how it looks upon you." He took one of her hands. "I am not accusing you, Donia, but I need you to tell me the truth. Were you involved in this?" His eyes implored hers, half of him begging for her to say no and the other half certain that she was behind it for whatever reason.

"Keenan!" Donia exclaimed. "How dare you even think that. Evan is a Summer fey. He stays here but has sworn me no oath as of yet. Perhaos you need to investigate your own court more thoroughly before pointing fingers at the one you claim to love." Her eyes were bright and almost panicked. "Please leave before I say something I will regret. Return when you are ready to make amends but do not ask for my help until then," she warned, looking pointedly towards the door.

With a heaving sigh, knowing that there was no reasoning with her when she was angry, Keenan left, never seeing the way Donia slumped down in her chair, shaking and letting out a gust of air as if she had just run a marathon.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it! Thoughts?<strong>

**This chapter was twice as long as any of the others before it...if you guys like this length, let me know and I will do my best to keep them longer (although it would mean less frequent updates)**

**Please review!**

**Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	8. To Assess Fear

**Hello my wonderful readers! First and foremost, I would like to humbly apologize for the wait. Life has been somewhat hectic lately and coupled with writers block...you get my meaning. This chapter has a little less action than I would have liked, but unfortunately its very important to the story...**

**Anyway, enough from me and on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked Lovely.**

* * *

><p>Evan crouched low underneath a crumbling bridge on the outskirts of town. His pants were torn and muddied from evading the Summer guard and his body was decorated with small cuts. He looked around nervously, as he had been doing for the last hour he had been hidden there. The river rushed by, gurgling as it swept over worn down rocks. Evan flinched as a fish broke the surface. His senses had been stretched to their fullest capacity for hours and it had made him jumpy to say the least. Calloused fingers reached back into his belt, seeking the familiar comfort of his stone blade as he focused on controlling his breathing while still reflexively scanning his surroundings.<p>

A small rabbit munched on a patch of clover nearby; oblivious to the hawk that Evan spotted circling the air above it. The predator's circles slowly tightened, a terrifyingly subtle and slow process: a false sense of security, in a way. The rabbit had no inkling as to the danger it was in, hopping lazily forward, then sideways, and sideways once more. All the while, the hawk's keen eyes followed its prey, stalking and circling.

Just as Evan was certain the bird would swoop, the wind shifted. The rabbit froze: some instinct telling it that all was not as it should be. It bolted for cover, racing towards a nearby bush and Evan watched with morbid fascination as the hawk swooped down, realizing that it was now or never. The rabbit changed course at the last minute, desperately running for its life. The hawk shrieked its displeasure and regrouped, watching the rabbit aim for a hole at the bottom of a nearby tree. Evan caught a breath as the rabbit stepped a foot inside the hole, free at last—

—until the hawk's deadly talons pierced through it's skin, tearing through sinew and organs to reappear, glistening with fresh blood, on the other side of it's small body. The rabbit gave a pitiful squeal of pain and suffering as it weakly moved its limbs, bleeding more with each feeble movement. Evan's heart sank as the hawk's powerful wings beat down, rising higher into the sky with its prey. Game over.

The rowan man had always fancied himself to be the hawk in those situations, powerful and in control; fearless and confident. Of course, that was before he had been assigned to watch over Donia. Now, after following one of the first orders under her rule, he felt more and more like the rabbit, desperately trying to survive. He swallowed hard at the thought. Would he ever be able to stop running? Despair bubbled up inside of him as he hung his head. His Queen had exiled him to the life of a fugitive, constantly looking over his shoulder, never breathing easily.

And for _what_, he had to wonder. Donia was never one to let her passions rule her like Keenan did. Winter was calculating: mindful of the facts and how to use them to one's advantage. Donia surely knew how much she had to lose in trying to kill Aislinn. What could possibly be so wrong with the Summer Queen that she would send him to kill her?

Surely it wasn't over Keenan: Donia already had laid claim to the Summer King, a claim that the Queen Aislinn had respected and even encouraged. It wasn't borne of a power struggle, for if Donia had valued power over love she never would have suspended the seasons to be with Keenan, weakening her court as well as Summer's. Evan furrowed his brow in thought, mindlessly tugging a lock of his hair. There was something he was _missing_.

His first reaction only a few days ago would have been to ask the Winter Queen herself and try to garner insight on her decisions. Now, however, that option was long gone. Evan may have been blinded by love but he wasn't stupid, he knew that she had never held anything more than a warm affection for him. He also realized that in giving him the assignment of killing Aislinn, she had labeled him as disposable. He obviously could not return to her side with a death warrant on his head, especially if she wanted to continue to play nice with the Summer Court. He wondered what could have possibly been worth all this trouble.

What could possibly drive Donia to murder?

* * *

><p>Aislinn scowled irritably as another Summer Girl danced over to her bedside, a fistful of flowers in her hand. With a bright and oblivious smile, she sat down at the foot of her Queen's bed and began weaving a crown of wildflowers and singing out into the open air.<p>

The Summer Queen sighed and pretended to fall back asleep. Immediately the song lowered in volume, the Summer Girl ever aware of her sovereign. Aislinn was going to kill Keenan for assigning her babysitters for every moment of every day. Well, maybe _kill_ was not the right word, considering her recent brush with death, but certainly a thorough tongue-lashing was in order.

Aislinn frowned. In order to manage even that, she realized, he would actually have to show his face around her. Ever since she had woken in Keenan's arms in the study, she had seen nothing of the King. She was left only with direct orders from both Deidra and Keenan that she was not to leave her bed, much less her room, and she was never, _ever,_ under any circumstances, to be left alone until Evan was captured. She felt little more than useless and was all the more irritated for it.

Aislinn sighed; she would have thought that nearly dying would give her a new zest for life, a strong second wind that would blow away her grief and depression over losing Seth and a will to survive the attack. Instead, in those moments that she thought she was dead, she had felt a small sense of…relief.

* * *

><p><em>She felt a small pinch in her neck and screamed, staring at Evan who was panicking just as she was. The world went fuzzy in an instant. Numbly, she saw the blob that had used to be Evan rush across the room and out the window. With each thud of her pulse, a searing pain found its way deeper into her neck and closer to her bloodstream. <em>

_With a choked gasp, Aislinn found that her lungs had ceased to obey her. This is where she would die, she realized in a moment of clarity. Not lying folded into the arms of the man she loved; gently rocked to sleep by a lullaby. Instead she would die on a hard and unforgiving floor: alone._

_And yet, Aislinn couldn't say that she was terribly upset at the prospect of dying. She wouldn't have to live with her pain any longer if it were all to end in that instant. It was somewhat comforting to know._

_She could distantly feel her heartbeat slow and she wondered if Seth had felt something similar when he died. Surely he hadn't been in this much pain. And she was certain that if there was an afterlife, Seth had found it, perhaps reunited with his lovely wife. _

_She tried not to think about the fact that there was no such prospect of an afterlife for faeries. That she would never be reunited with Seth. The best she could hope for was a release from her own pain and suffering, alone in the world. _

_A sudden warmth and jolt of healing power shocked her breath back into her lungs forcibly. She opened her eyes to see the concerned face of her king hovering above her, panic stricken but hopeful. He murmured words of comfort to her quietly, smoothing her hair with the utmost care and affection and her heart beat once more._

_Perhaps she wasn't entirely alone in the world after all._

* * *

><p>Since then, Aislinn's world had become somewhat fuddled. She now saw a world that was no longer quite as cold or lonely, but a world teeming with life just begging to be nurtured into bloom. Not only that, but she realized that she had someone to share it with, should she have the courage to ask.<p>

She cracked an eye open to look outside her window. It was exceptionally sunny out, something that would have made the Queen smile if she hadn't known that the reason for such brightness was because a search party was scouring the city for her would-be assassin. Still, the light cast warmth upon her bed and Ash allowed herself a small grin.

Despite all of the world's cruelties, there were just some things that were meant to bring happiness.

* * *

><p>Joshua stared at the note in his hand with no small measure of disbelief.<p>

_I don't know when I'll be back, but I'm safe. Don't worry about me. Love, Linn._

She had just up and _left?_ With no warning or notice whatsoever other than a message that totaled less than twenty words? The girl had lost her ever-loving mind if she thought she could get away with this. Josh gave the note another look, wondering how in the hell he was not supposed to worry with so little information given about her whereabouts.

He ran a hand through his dark hair in frustration. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that something was seriously wrong. He couldn't place it, and certainly couldn't explain it, but whoever had left that note was not his little sister, despite the fact that it was written in her handwriting.

With a growl he crumpled the paper into a ball and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans. It seemed like it was just one headache after another since he had arrived in this city. First his father passes away; next Linn loses all memory of three entire _days_ and a week after that vanishes with no explanation.

_And dealing with a baby on top of it all,_ he thought dryly to himself.

As if on cue, that was exactly when little Dexter decided to announce to the world that he was awake, letting out a wail that made Joshua wince. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, took a deep breath and walked down the hall to the baby's room.

Dexter had not yet really worked himself up into a good cry yet by the time Joshua walked through the door. In fact, as soon as the boy saw that his father was coming he stopped the noise entirely, giving him a small grin and blowing a bubble with his drool.

Joshua approached the crib and leaned down, hovering over his son. Being a young man of only twenty-four, he had never given much thought to becoming a parent until Dexter was dropped into his lap. Now he could not imagine life without the boy. Joshua smiled as Dexter crawled over towards the bars of his crib. He reached over, his pudgy hand grasping for Joshua's jeans through the metal spokes.

"Alright, champ, let's get you some breakfast," Josh murmured as he plucked the boy from his crib.

Dexter began to squirm and Joshua frowned. He looked down at his jeans and saw the corner of Linn's note. Dexter must have seen it and wanted to play with it, or more likely, stuff it in his mouth to see if it was edible.

Joshua shrugged, seeing no harm in letting the boy hold the note and pulled the rumpled paper from his pocket. Dexter reached his hands imploringly towards it and with a chuckle, Josh handed it over.

Within seconds, the piece of paper that the baby had been holding on to had shimmered and changed into a simple tree leaf. Joshua's head reeled as he stared first at what had been Linn's message and then at his son.

Dexter held his new prize and babbled up at his father, proud of his achievement. Joshua simply stood there, thunderstruck.

"Dex, m-maybe we should call your mother," he whispered.

* * *

><p>Linn found herself coming back to consciousness slowly. Halfheartedly she tried to remember the last vestiges of her dreams that were already fading, but like sand in her grasp, the harder she tried to hang on to them, the faster they slipped through her fingers. With a resigned sigh, she tiredly opened her heavy eyelids.<p>

Sunlight filtered through wooden shutters that were halfway opened over the two windows in the small guest room. Linn all too suddenly recalled the predicament she was currently in and brought a hand to her temple where the headache was already beginning to form as her mind reeled.

Last night she had been kidnapped by the man of her nightmares: _literally_. She had no idea where she was other than the fact that she was surrounded by forest. She was far enough along in her nervous breakdown, as she was certain this was, that she was even hallucinating creatures that looked more alien than human.

Her mind flashed with images: serrated teeth, dark shadows, her childhood home fading out of sight, those frighteningly intense bright green eyes. She shook her head lightly to clear her head before she scanned her surroundings for potential weapons.

The room was nearly empty other than the bed and a small wooden nightstand. It was also quite tidy other than the rumpled sheets around Linn's body due to her own self-admitted cover-kicking tendencies. The carpet was a dusty brown, matching the bedspread. The walls were pale green and bare of decoration other than the wallpaper border along the ceiling of woodland wildlife scenes: two deer with their antlers locked in battle, squirrels holding their prized acorns tightly to their furred chests and a lazy brown bear holding a beehive in one claw and licking honey from the other. If Linn were so inclined, she would even have said it was a cute little room, but since it happened to be her jail cell at the moment, she wasn't feeling generous.

With the memory that she was in fact a captive, Linn weighed her options. If she attempted to escape now and got caught, she would most likely be put under heavier surveillance than simply a shut door, making a getaway more difficult. However, if she bided her time to get more information, the chance to make a break for it may never present itself. Linn decided that her pride could not swallow sitting calm and docile in confinement without giving escape her best effort.

She rose to her knees to get off the bed and froze. She should not have felt the cotton sheets against her bare leg. She looked down and discovered to her displeasure that she was not wearing what she had been abducted in. Instead of her usual jeans, Chuck Taylor's and t-shirt, she was wearing a baby blue tank top and striped sleeping shorts. Her eyes narrowed; besides the fact that someone had to have changed her clothes in her sleep without her consent, these were the pajamas she had been missing for the past week. She was beginning to get a bad feeling about this whole situation and decided right then and there that the sooner she got away, the better off she would be.

Snatching the hair band from around her wrist, she pulled her long chocolate hair back into an impromptu bun and hopped off the bed, striding over to the windows. Gently, as not to make any noise she lifted the wooden shutters up and away from the glass. Peeking underneath, she looked out the window and found that she was on the ground floor; luckily she wouldn't be risking any broken bones in her escape. Better still, the bushes in front of her windows provided perfect cover if the noise from a squeaky hinge brought unwanted attention. With bright eyes, she looked for the latch that would open the window. She pursed her lips unable to find any trace of a lock or opening on either window pane, running her fingers over the smooth borders.

Linn heaved a sigh, it might have been too much to hope for that her kidnappers were careless; after all, they did break into her brother's house unnoticed at least twice. She stole a furtive glance at the door that lead to the rest of the house. It was made of wood and stained a rich mahogany with a silvery metal knob. It stood silent and tall and, Linn thought, slightly imposing. Something so harmless should not have made her feel so uneasy and yet she couldn't shake the feeling that the minute that door opened, her world would never be the same.

She tiptoed slowly over to the door, never taking her eyes off the doorknob, waiting for the slightest twitch that would send her running to the window. After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was likely only seconds, she was within reaching distance.

Ever so slowly, as if waiting for an excuse not to, Linn reached a shaking hand out toward the gleaming surface. Apprehension clouded her mind and fear raced through her veins as her fingertips crept closer. By the time her hand was mere centimeters away her hands were shaking so badly she could hardly move her fingers and her knees trembled all the way down to her bare ankles. Her breath was coming out in strangled gasps and Linn wanted nothing more than to get as far away from that door as she could and hide under the covers.

She simply couldn't understand why she was so _frightened_. It was broad daylight and everything was calm and quiet other than her racing heart and frazzled nerves. Linn decided to trust her instincts, however, irrational as they were, and backed away from the door.

As soon as she had retreated far enough to be out of arms reach, her anxiety ebbed away until she was left with nothing but her own bafflement.

Still the door stood tall and silent.

Her brows furrowed: it was a _door_. She approached again, determined to get out of that room. No door was a match for Aislinn Morgan. She strode with confidence and reached for the metal knob—

—and was hit with a wall of fear so hard it made her nauseous. She backed away immediately, frowning when the feeling didn't fade until she hit the foot of the bed.

Something was not right. Her rational mind told her that she was imagining things; that she could go over and open that stupid door because it would only prove that she was having a nervous breakdown if she didn't.

Still…she couldn't bring herself to try a third time, the taste of bile sour in her throat. She turned her attention back to the windows, not letting the strange occurrence deter her from her ultimate goal.

Not bothering with stealth any longer in her frustration, she batted the shutters away and pressed her hand up against the cool glass. It was thick but breakable, she decided; it had to be.

With renewed vigor, Linn turned back to the bed and grabbed the sheet from her bed, gripping one end and wrapping the remainder around her fist. She had seen enough movies to know that glass cut deep and a blood trail was the last thing she needed for her kidnapper to track her escape route.

Setting her jaw, Linn reared her fist back, tensing her muscles. With a soft growl she let her hand fly. It hit the glass with a small thud and pain blossomed around her knuckles. She recoiled for another strike, only mildly surprised that she hadn't made even a small crack in the glass. She punched the window again and again, becoming more desperate as her hand began to throb and bruise before her eyes. With tears of frustration blooming in her eyes she beat on the glass with both fists, dropping the sheet from her hand, uncaring. She scowled at her lack of progress, not making so much as a nick in the smooth surface as it became smeared with red as the skin on her knuckles split under the battering she was putting them through.

Angrily she wiped a tear away and looked around once more. Her eyes zeroed in on the nightstand. She gripped the wooden legs and tried to lift it, only to find that it had been bolted to the floor. Linn gritted her teeth, readjusted her grip to the top of the nightstand and heaved, her split knuckles popping painfully. She smiled with satisfaction as she heard the wood snap. One more tug and the top of the table came free, leaving the legs bolted to the floor, one of them leaning at an awkward angle.

Ignoring her throbbing hands she raised the top of the table over her head, ready to smash it at the window—

—when strong hands nimbly plucked the broken nightstand from her death grip. With a startled gasp Linn whirled around to see none other than Cyrus looking down at her.

He clucked his tongue disapprovingly at her as he took in her disheveled appearance. When he saw her bleeding and swollen hands his eyes widened. He dropped the broken nightstand on the bed and reached for them. Linn balled her hands into fists and hid them behind her back and out of Cyrus's reach.

"Aislinn, what have you done, pet?" he asked, horrified. He tried to reach for her again but stopped when he saw the blood stained window.

"Quite the determined little thing, aren't you?" he mused mostly to himself as he swiped a fingertip through an area of blood. He raised it to his face and Linn got an uncomfortable feeling at the intensity of his scrutiny.

She reached out a hand as if to stop him, protests halfway formed as he brought his finger that was stained with her blood to his lips. He stared into her eyes intently as he licked the blood off of his finger. Linn shuddered and tore her gaze away, feeling uncomfortable, with a sense that that small act of tasting her blood was somehow more significant and intimate than if he had just ravaged her. She cleared her throat loudly.

"I should warn you, my darling little Linn," he purred as he crept up behind her, placing his hands on her waist and putting his chin on her shoulder so he could murmur softly in her ear. "Blood is a very powerful thing in this world. Something you should not spill without reason, lest it fall in the wrong hands."

He moved his hands from her waist to trail down to her own damaged hands. He held them with the utmost care as he raised them slowly and deliberately to his face to kiss her bloodied knuckles. Linn was caught in a mixture of fear and odd fascination at the man behind her but nevertheless she stayed absolutely still.

"Luckily, you have me," he whispered in her ear before placing a soft kiss on her temple. "You have no idea just how very important you are to me, love. I just need you here, safe and sound with me, and then all of this will be worth it."

Linn couldn't help but think that his words sounded more ominous than reassuring.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it. Never fear, I have this story loosely planned out to the very finish, so despite far between updates, I promise they are in the works! <strong>

**Thanks for reading, please review! **

**~ Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	9. To Capture Interest

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

** 2/2/13-Edited a bit, made a change to the story Cyrus tells Linn, but nothing major**

* * *

><p>Evan crept quietly into the forest, his deft movements making only the smallest of sounds as he maneuvered through the underbrush. As the trees got denser, he noticed something strange. The forest looked much the same, however, all of the usual sounds of the forest: the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, the miscellaneous sounds of life within the forest, were muffled somehow. It was almost as if a heavy woolen blanket had settled over the area, making all of the sounds muddled and distorted.<p>

Instantly, Evan's senses were on full alert. As a former member of the Royal Guard, danger was something he was intimately familiar with, and this was beginning to look potentially dangerous indeed. Evan narrowed his eyes and scanned his surroundings, dagger loosely grasped in his hand.

The forest looked deceptively ordinary, trees standing proudly and displaying their leaves, now beginning to change colors. Evan spotted a small field mouse, skittering from hole to the next. The fugitive watched the little rodent somewhat absently, watching as it scampered and then disappeared. The illusion rippled at the point where the mouse has entered before settling back into place.

Immediately, Evan's eyes shot wide. He should have been able to sense a barrier of that size, the sheer amount of glamour should have tipped him off as soon has he got within five hundred feet if not farther. This was bad. Someone incredibly powerful had made this, and did not want to be found.

He whirled around, knowing when to retreat, and was met with four archers, bows at the ready and aimed at his heart, looking solemn. All four of them looked nearly identical. Mahogany brown eyes illuminated bloodless white faces, framed by platinum blonde hair and wore gold studs in their pointed ears. They were well camouflaged with bark and leaves attached to their clothes, their elongated limbs making them blend in even better to their surroundings.

"You are the faerie they search for, are you not?" The one on the far left said quietly.

Evan clenched his jaw but didn't say anything, meeting the strange faerie's stare head on. He gripped his dagger a little tighter and waited.

"You are the one who tried to assassinate the Queen of Summer, the one whose blood is demanded by the Summer King?" another one tried, using the same monotone inflections.

Evan gave a short nod. "I am. I was betrayed and it was unintentional, but yes. It is I who Keenan wants dead. Am I to assume you will be obliging him?" he asked tightly.

At the exact same time, all four of the tall archers grinned and let the strings gently back to their original places. One in the middle reached behind his back, pulling out a small round device. Evan panicked, lunging away and accidentally dropping his dagger as the faerie pressed a button and a large net sprung forth from the device. It was too late; the net had already surrounded him, trapping him inside. Evan thrashed, flailing his arms and kicking his legs as the four archers watched and waited calmly.

"Peace. We mean you no harm. Our leader has business with you," the one on the far left said, putting down his bow and holding out his hands in a placating gesture.

"Who is this leader?" Evan snarled, "Out for a reward I suppose."

Out of nowhere Evan was thrown against a tree, still tangled in the net. He coughed and gasped for breath. His head throbbed and for a moment he saw black spots fill his vision.

"Watch yourself. We do not tolerate slights against our regent. You will come with us one way or another. Will you cooperate?" The faerie spoke calmly and quietly, his lips right next to Evan's ear, a dagger to his throat.

"Yes," Evan said, discreetly leaning away from the blade.

"Good."

* * *

><p>Keenan walked into Ash's room quietly, locking the door behind him. He looked down upon her sleeping form, her arms above her head as she snored softly. Keenan chuckled and swept a lock of hair away from her eyes. It was times like these that he savored. The times when he could imagine that they were actually acting as proper regents of Summer.<p>

Together.

It wasn't the first time he had harbored such thoughts for Ash. Though he loved Donia, the nagging feeling of guilt never left every time he went to see her. He felt like Fate was toying with him by finally finding his Queen and then realizing she loved another. Though, back in those days, he had consoled himself with the fact that it came down to a waiting game. Keenan had known that Seth would not live forever, not even close.

Now her mortal was dead, Keenan had won the game of time, but now what? He still could not find the strength to cut ties with Donia who had loved him when had so desperately needed it. Despite his bravado, he could not bear it if Aislinn were to deny him her love, to be rejected should he actually make a heartfelt attempt to attain it. Surely he could make her desire him, but love was another matter entirely.

Aislinn rolled over, bringing her hands down to pillow her face. Keenan smiled ever so slightly. She was beautiful when she slept; so vulnerable and serene, unmasked by her brave façade. If only she would let him in, to trust him enough to let him see into her heart.

Keenan sighed. Of course she wouldn't. Despite being his queen, Keenan knew that her heart had always been held with a firm grasp by Seth.

But Seth was dead: gone forever. And Ash's heart was in desperate need of a gentle and loving hand to meticulously piece back the broken fragments of her fragile heart.

"I could help you if only you would try to love me, Ash," he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. "If you would only trust me, I'll prove it to you."

Keenan stood and turned to leave when he heard a small sniffle. His looked back at his queen and saw tears rolling down her face, eyes tightly closed. Immediately, Keenan was beside her. Gently he touched her cheek, wiping away a tear. "What is it?" he asked softly.

"I'm so sorry. I want to trust you, Keenan," she whispered, "but it terrifies me."

"Ash, look at me," he said firmly, turning her chin. Watery green eyes gazed up at him. "I know you are hurting. I know that you loved Seth very deeply. I know that you don't love me. I know that it will take time, but I also know that we could be extraordinary together. Please, can you give it a chance? I'm not asking for anything more than for you to open your heart to me. Please?"

Aislinn bit her lip.

"What have you got to lose?" Keenan tried.

"Whatever is left of my heart," she murmured. She fixed her eyes upon him once more and narrowed them. She wiped her face solemnly and cleared her throat. Keenan held her gaze silently.

"I will try," she said.

Keenan's heart nearly stopped beating. Slowly and carefully, so as not to frighten her, Keenan reached for his queen, pulling her into his strong embrace. "Thank you," he murmured into her hair. "I won't let you down."

She sat still, quiet and unresponsive, but Keenan didn't mind. She had given him a chance, after all these years. It was enough.

* * *

><p>Linn sat curled in a protective ball at the top of the bed and watched Cyrus. He was currently stretched out beside her, smirking at her blatant distrust. Since her poorly planned escape attempt earlier that day, Cyrus has not let her out of his sight, something Linn found both frustrating and unsettling.<p>

So far, Cyrus had not attempted to make conversation with her, simply content to just stare and be near her. Occasionally, he would hum an unfamiliar tune, once even singing softly in a language she couldn't understand. Linn had not spoken a single word since the strange man had tended to her hands and meticulously cleaned her blood from the completely undamaged window, instead thinking over her dwindling options.

Her escape plan had been woefully unplanned and now she was under the continual scrutiny of her captor with no more knowledge for it. With a pang of worry she thought of Joshua. What would he think when he discovered she was not there? Would he call the police or think that she had run away. Maybe she could call—

Her cell phone. If only she could find where they put it, she could call Joshua and he would rescue her. Linn looked around the room discreetly, wondering where her street clothes had gone to. When she glanced back to where Cyrus was laying, she found an empty space instead.

"What are you looking for, my pet, so lost in thought? Something important?" his smooth voice murmured in her ear. With a jolt, Linn jumped away only to be held tightly in place by a pair of arms around her waist. "Be still, love. I won't harm you; I simply want you near me."

Linn was so tense that her muscles were trembling. She could feel warm breath on her neck and tried not to whimper. He exuded power, she could feel it, and it frightened her.

"What is it that frightens you so?" Cyrus asked softly.

"I still don't know why I am here and why I can't leave," she whispered. "Just please let me go, I won't tell anyone about anything. I just want to go home. Please." Her throat began to feel tight with emotion, "Let me get back to my brother."

Cyrus nuzzled her head comfortingly, giving her a small squeeze, "There now, pet. Hush. Let's have a small chat, then, you and I. Does that sound alright?" When he got a small nod from Linn he continued.

"Shall I tell you a story? It's not quite finished yet, but there is a fair chance of a happy ending to it. Although," he added with a small chuckle, "happiness is a rather subjective thing." Cyrus leaned back on the pillows behind him, dragging a wary Linn with him.

"How shall I begin? Ah, yes. Once upon a time…"

* * *

><p><em>Once upon a time, there was a faery King. He was a good King, most of the time, that is. This King liked to dally with danger, a weakness of his to say the least, especially when it came to dangerous women. His first love was dangerous indeed, a powerful faery that he had met in his travels around the world. He found pieces of himself within her, restless, difficult to contain, and full of fire. They were well matched.<em>

_The King and his lover were relatively happy together, being of like mind and demeanor, burning everything in their path. Eventually, though, the King left his consort, searching for a thrill that had left him. By the time he found out that he had sired a child, he had already found his next target._

_She was a feisty little Ice Queen this time, one that met him blow for blow, move for move. They were a powerful pair, though they fought like cobras, and eventually they, too, produced a child, a boy named Keenan. At this time, the Ice Queen turned out to be more than the King could handle, killing him without a second thought before the child had even been born._

_Young Keenan naturally assumed his father's throne, since the King had never told anyone of his eldest child, his true heir. Things were not easy for the new King; his powers were bound, leaving him virtually powerless without his fated queen. Countless years passed until his shining star appeared, a beautiful mortal named Aislinn, finally setting him free. In an ironic turn of events, however, she was in love with a mortal boy, driving Keenan back into the arms of the new Ice Queen, his previous love._

_You may ask what happened to the first son, the one cheated out of his birthright. He simply bided his time, waiting for things to play out. And play out they did. Queen Aislinn's mortal love married another and had two children, a boy and a girl, leaving Queen Aislinn alone. Vulnerable._

_So what was the powerful bastard son with no inheritance to do with this information? Luckily, the mortal's young daughter was beautiful, strong and happened to be under the protection of both the Summer and Winter courts. This little girl was the key to the firstborn's success, and so one night, he gave her his own small protection, binding her to him when she was but a few months old._

_The years drew on and still the rightful heir waited patiently, and when the time was right, he sprung his trap._

"And that is where our tale ends, though it is far from over," Cyrus finished, absently stroking Linn's exposed arm.

Linn blinked away the haze of Cyrus's masterful storytelling and cleared her throat. "I, um, I'm not sure if I understand completely."

"But you _will_, pet. Believe me," Cyrus said with certainty.

Just then, a knock came at the door. Linn felt Cyrus's arms tense almost reflexively before uttering a curt, "Enter."

A small boy with feathers intermixed with his hair and beady black eyes poked his head in the doorway. "Sire, the traitor has been apprehended. He is waiting for you." The boy's head was always in constant motion, small and jerky, but his eyes never left Cyrus. Linn shuddered at the steady focus of the boy's gaze.

"Thank you, you may go," Cyrus replied, letting go of Linn to dismiss the boy with a wave of his hand. The bird boy nodded swiftly and left, leaving the two of them alone once more. Cyrus shifted Linn in his grasp to look at her face.

"I have business to attend to now," he grabbed her chin in his hand. "Can you behave yourself?"

Linn tried to look innocent.

Cyrus sighed, "I thought not. Right, then. You will accompany me, love, and you will not interfere or I will be less than pleased, do you understand me?" His eyes were intently serious. Linn nodded.

"Good. Shall we?"

* * *

><p>Joshua sat anxiously by the door, waiting for his girlfriend Melinda who was due to arrive at any moment. Surely she would know what to do about all of this mess. She always seemed to know what to do, what to say. She just knew.<p>

Dexter played with his toys on a blanket on the floor nearby, oblivious to his father's turmoil. The note-turned-leaf lay on the table, looing innocent and inconspicuous. Joshua chose not to look at it, instead focusing on the window, waiting for Melinda.

The phone rang, startling Joshua so badly he flinched. Quickly he walked over and checked the caller ID. His heart sank: a telemarketer. Half of him had expected it to be Linn, calling to tell him that she was alright and coming back soon. With a sigh, he hit the ignore button.

As he set down the phone, he heard a soft knock at the door. His heart flooded with relief: Melinda had arrived. Things were going to be alright.

The moment he opened the door she wrapped her arms around him and he was filled with warmth and a feeling of calm came over him. Eagerly, Josh embraced her tightly, breathing in her flowery perfume. She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands, looking at him intently.

"Everything is fine, do you understand me? Perfectly fine," she said evenly, crystal blue eyes strong and confident.

Josh nodded dumbly and Melinda nodded and moved over to her son who was still playing on the floor. She picked him up and kissed his cheeks lovingly, cooing into his ear.

It was a heartwarming sight, seeing mother and son together, both with soft blonde curls and blue eyes. Melinda looked at him again, walking over and smiling at him.

"So, what is for dinner?" she asked with a smile.

Josh shrugged and grinned in response, walking over to the kitchen. On his way he passed a leaf on the counter. He quirked an eyebrow, confused as to how it had gotten there and why anyone would save a _leaf _of all things. Ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that told him something was not right, he threw it away, turning back to his girlfriend and son.

Everything was always fine when Melinda was around.


	10. To Uncover Truths

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

** 2/2/13-Edited a bit, no major changes**

* * *

><p>When Evan came back to his senses, the first thing he noticed was a splitting headache that began at the base of his skull and spread outward. He blearily tried to open his eyes but discovered that he had been blindfolded and gagged. Coarse rope bit at his wrists and ankles as he tried to move from the cold hard floor, his muscles aching from their uncomfortable position behind his back. Vaguely he wondered how long he had been unconscious and where he was.<p>

Rough hands gripped his upper arms and dragged him upright to his knees and Evan nearly vomited; his head spinning. He heard a door opening and footsteps coming toward him and he tensed, realizing that things could very well go badly for him in that moment. He listened intently, alert and focused.

"I can walk by myself, thank you," a female voice muttered hesitantly, though somewhat annoyed.

"Hush now and behave; we have a guest." This new voice was male and authoritative, and Evan guessed he was the master of this operation he had found himself in. "Remove his blindfold and gag and release his bindings," he demanded.

Evan let out an involuntary sigh of pleasure when the ropes were cut from his body, allowing blood to return to his extremities. Evan swiped a hand over his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the brightness of the room before taking a cursory glance around.

The room was surprisingly modern for being what Evan assumed was in the middle of the forest. White tile covered the floors, accentuating the stark contrast between the dark blue walls. In the center of the room was a raised dais with a large chair, the wood stained a deep mahogany and looking fit for a king. Evan watched as a tall faerie with wild blonde hair strode confidently over and sat, half dragging a young human girl to rest upon his lap. He looked over the girl, noticing how uncomfortable and wary she looked, her brown eyes focused on her clenched fists before the blonde captured her hands and whispered something in her ear. The girl grimaced, but Evan did not have long to ponder what it was that she had heard because the faery had focused his intense green eyes on the rowan man.

"So you are the traitor to the Summer King," he said casually, looking him over. He seemed somewhat satisfied by what he saw, quirking and eyebrow as he spared Evan half a smile. "I am Cyrus, firstborn son of Miach, exile of the faery courts, half-brother to Keenan, the current King of Summer, and the rightful heir to the throne. Welcome to the rebellion." Cyrus spared him a smile that sent cold chills running down his spine. He felt as though he had jumped out of the frying pan and into the flame.

* * *

><p>Donia was getting worried, an emotion that she had learned to abhor. Winter did not <em>worry<em>, it caused worries. And yet here she was. It had been days since she had heard anything of Evan's whereabouts. She knew better than to think that he was dead, as convenient as that would have been, because one of Keenan's guards would surely have found his body by now. Evan was a loose end that needed a permanent tie off so that her plans would not be hindered.

That was how the Winter Queen found herself briskly strolling along the river searching for her fugitive rowan man. She had been searching for the past hour and had found no clues whatsoever, only dead ends and trampled evidence. She crossed her arms and huffed, sending her frost onto a young tree, killing every leaf that remained. She watched with grim satisfaction as the leaves detached and fell, dying like Aislinn should have. Donia pulled a small vial out of her jacket, feeling the cold glass against her fingers as she brought the bottle closer. The clear thick liquid slid slowly from the bottom of the vial as Donia turned it upside down, reminding Donia of syrup. She smiled. Even though Evan had failed to kill the wretched Summer Queen, there was still enough deadly poison to do the job.

Grinning maliciously, Donia plotted as she resumed her stroll. This time would need to be more elaborate; surely Keenan had increase security on his precious Queen. _However_, she thought drily, _Keenan would never refuse his lover access to his bed._ It would be only too easy. Grinning, Donia shoved the vial back into her pocket and summoned a light snow to obliterate her footsteps.

She had Seth's children to check up on.

* * *

><p>Joshua looked at his cell phone lying innocently in his hand, a frown marring his handsome features. He continued to stare, not sure what he was waiting for until he gripped it in his fist and shoved it back into the pocket of his jeans, frustrated for a reason he couldn't quite put his finger on.<p>

"Is something bothering you, baby? You seem so tense, are you alright?" Melinda came up behind her boyfriend and ran a hand comfortingly across his shoulder.

Josh clenched his jaw, closing his eyes briefly, trying to sort out his jumbled thoughts. His mind had just felt so fuzzy lately, never able to hold on to a thought for longer than an hour at most. He just felt like he was forgetting something important.

"I—I just feel like I am supposed to be worrying about something, and I'm not," he raked his hand through his hair. "It's maddening."

Melinda led Joshua over to the couch and pushed him down on it, rubbing his shoulders comfortingly. "Honey, there is nothing to worry about. It is a lot of stress losing a parent and I'm sure you're just grieving but don't you worry, because I am right here." Warmth spread from where Melinda's hands were massaging and her voice swept over him like a warm breeze on a chilly spring day, giving him a languid feeling of relaxation. Joshua's head rolled back and he groaned in pleasure as his headaches disappeared under Melinda's careful attention.

"Think about everything in your life right now that you have to be thankful for. You have me, you have Dexter, a beautiful baby that loves you, this lovely home for our family to grow in and a stable job. That seems like an awful lot to find peace in," she admonished gently.

Joshua smiled, falling deeper into the serenity that Melinda exuded until one word stuck in his mind.

_Family._

"Linn!" he gasped, bolting upright, Melinda's comforting hands falling off in the process. He whipped his head around to meet his girlfriend's crystal blue eyes. Frantically he tried to explain, "Linn, she's gone. She left, but I don't know why. She didn't even say anything, just left…something." Joshua's heart was racing, his head pounding. The more he thought about his sister the worse the throbbing in his temples got. There was something important just on the edge of his consciousness, but he just couldn't seem to access it.

Gentle hands went to Joshua's aching head and the throbbing began to subside, replacing it with the calm that always came with Melinda's touch. She moved his head to look into his eyes. "You are overreacting, your mind is playing tricks on you, baby. Linn is safe, back at college. She left just a few days ago and called you this morning. Don't you remember? She was telling you all about her new boyfriend and how happy she is with him. You are just fine, you need to relax."

The fuzzy feeling in his head got worse only for a moment as she was speaking before it dissipated. Now that she mentioned it, he did remember Linn calling. Melinda was right; his mind was playing tricks on him. Linn was at college, with her new boyfriend. She had called.

With a small shake of his head, Joshua quirked the corner of his mouth into an almost-grin. "The boyfriend. Right. What did she say his name was again?"

Melinda looked very pleased with something, grinning ear to ear as she replied happily, "Cyrus, I think she said."

* * *

><p>Donia opened the window to Seth's home with ease, a practiced maneuver that she had perfected years ago, despite Joshua's new found love for locking the windows. In the past, Seth had just learned to keep them open; it wasn't like they could stop her anyhow.<p>

With all the grace of a Queen she glided over to little Dexter's crib, peering over at him. There was something different about this little toddler that she couldn't quite figure out yet. He was almost _too_ human, as strange as it sounded. The little tyke fidgeted in his sleep, one hand accidentally brushing against the bars of his crib. The small child's face contorted in discomfort and it was apparent that he was about to wake. Donia's eyes widened and reached out to move his hand away.

The moment she touched Dexter's soft skin she felt the small jolt of glamour and her jaw literally dropped. Focusing her energy, Donia peeled away the glamour covering his hand that had brushed the iron of the crib and sure enough, burn marks marred his hands that were now tipped by the beginnings of claws. Seeing all the proof she needed, Donia re-applied the glamour to the baby and escaped out the window. She cursed herself for not seeing it before, not checking in on Seth's children frequently enough to realize what had happened.

Dexter was a changeling.

* * *

><p>"Truth."<p>

"Aw, come on. You're no fun. Fine, if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be and why?"

Keenan looked at the ceiling of the loft, contemplating his answer. It had been his Queen's idea to spend time together by playing a game she called "Truth or Dare." So far, nothing or great importance had been brought to the playing field, asking mundane questions like what her favorite movie was, (_Titanic_) and what his favorite sport was, (bossaball, which of course had to be explained to Aislinn who had never heard of the Belgian sport, leading to a Google search that proved that Keenan was not, in fact, lying.) Keenan had played it safe so far, but was a master strategist with centuries of experience. Surely if he played his advantage, an opportunity was bound to present itself. So he bided his time, letting her fall into a false sense of security before striking.

"If I could be anywhere in the world right now I believe I would want to be on an island in the middle of the ocean, away from the commotion of being the Summer King, laying on a blanket in the sun with someone who cared about me," he cut her a sideways glance to gauge her reaction. She nodded thoughtfully.

"Sounds about where I would want to be, too." She smiled at him and Keenan's heart warmed.

"I believe it is now your turn, my lovely," he gave her a devilish grin, "Truth or dare?"

Ash bit her lip as she tried to decide. She knew that truth or dare was never any fun without a bit of risk, and after all, what did she have to lose? She sat up straight and lifted her chin arrogantly as she replied simply, "Dare."

Keenan smiled broadly and chuckled. Things seemed to be taking a turn for the better, now it was time to spring the trap. "I dare you to spend the night with me."

Immediately, Aislinn's eyes widened and her mouth opened to protest, "Keenan—"

"Not for anything that your racing mind is no doubt coming up with, I assure you. I simply dare you to rest beside me tonight in my bed. That is, if you have the courage for it," he taunted.

She looked into his eyes, searching for deceit in the green depths and apparently finding none as she huffed, "Fine. Your turn, truth or dare."

Keenan tried not to look smug at his small victory as he confidently replied, "Dare."

Aislinn gave him a look full of wicked glee. "I dare you to let me out of this house on my own and without an entourage."

Keenan gave her a stern look. "Ash, you know that I can't do that. Do you not realize that you nearly died and the would-be assassin has not yet been captured? It's too dangerous, surely you can understand that." He reached out and stroked her arm. "I know it has been hard to stay cooped up here, but how about a compromise?"

Ash looked sullenly back at him, "What do you think could possibly compare to the sunshine of outdoors to compromise with?"

"You may go outside without an entourage if I may accompany you."

She mulled it over, tilting her head slightly. Finally she sighed. "Alright, that sounds about as good of a deal as I am going to get. But," she added, pointing a finger at his chest, "this is not over, and I still get to give you another dare because that one doesn't count. It was a _compromise_," she made a face.

Keenan chuckled, unable to help himself. She was so young, so full of life. Despite all that had been going on, she was getting back what made her such a perfect Queen for him. Unable to help himself, he reached around the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss.

Just as their lips touched the door burst open. "Oh my," a cold voice murmured, "am I interrupting something?" Keenan's heart dropped as he hastily broke off the kiss and looked at the doorway.

It was Donia in all her icy glory, and she looked furious.

* * *

><p>All of the muscles in Linn's body were taut and alert as she sat on Cyrus's lap. She tried to ignore the small patterns he was absently tracing on the skin of her back, just below the hem of her t-shirt that had ridden up slightly. Instead, Linn focused on the strange looking man in the center of the room and what was being said. It was obvious that he was not normal, his skin looking remarkably like the bark of a tree. She blinked a few times, expecting something to change, but it did not. It was official; Linn was in way over her head.<p>

The man looked at her curiously, as though trying to figure her out, his dark eyes searching. Linn all of a sudden felt very exposed in the face of this stranger's scrutiny and looked away from him. Cyrus, who had been speaking up until that point, paused and looked at her.

"Linn, my pet, is there something troubling you with our guest?" He shot a quick look to the stranger on the floor before returning his gaze back to Linn. "I assure you, he will do you no harm."

Linn shook her head minutely.

"What is it?" Cyrus asked more forcefully.

"I just…what are you people? Are you even human? I just don't understand," said Linn.

Cyrus's arms wound around her waist and pulled her against him tightly enough that she could feel the shaking of his laughter. She was pulled to the side so that she was practically lying across him as he murmured in her ear. "No, my sweet, we are not human, and you no longer need to worry about that world any longer. You are in my world now, the world of faeries where I will soon become a king and you will be at my side. You'd best get comfortable, pet, because with me is where you will stay. Forever."

Linn whimpered as Cyrus placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "But my brother, my friends, my school," she protested, "I can't just leave them behind. Please just let me go home, find someone else to be with. I don't even know you. Cyrus, please." Tears brimmed her eyes and her voice became thick with emotion, "I can't leave Joshua."

Cyrus tightened his hold around her waist. "Of course you can. It's not like you have a choice, is it? Now settle down before you embarrass yourself in front of our guest." He nodded at the stranger, "What was your name again?"

The man with the bark-skin looked at Linn with something akin to pity before answering. "My name is Evan, sir."

"Good, good. Now, let's cut to the chase shall we?" Cyrus assumed a businesslike tone. "You are in the unique position of possessing knowledge of both the Summer and Winter courts yet are welcome in neither of them. You have a choice now. Either you work for me or I kill you, choose now." Quick as lightning Cyrus held a knife in his hand. Linn gasped, shying away from the weapon.

Evan gulped. "I will work for you, sir."

Cyrus grinned, "A wise decision." Slowly and deliberately, Cyrus ran the tip of the blade down Linn's arm. Linn flinched and sucked in a sharp breath when the movement caused the knife to cut the skin of her arm. A small ruby red drop of blood appeared at the site of the wound and Cyrus clucked his tongue disapprovingly at her.

"Linn, love, look what you have done. This is why you must trust in me, otherwise you will get hurt." His tone held a dark promise as he gathered her blood on the tip of his knife and brought it to his lips.

Linn saw the look on the tree-man's face out of the corner of her eye. He looked both amazed and horrified at the same time. Linn felt almost ashamed and looked down at her lap.

"Can I go to my room, please?" she asked softly.

"Yes, love. I will join you shortly." Cyrus signaled to one of the tall pale men with bows and quivers full of arrows on their backs. "Take her to her room and make sure she does not do anything foolish or harm herself." The pale man nodded solemnly and gripped her upper arm, half dragging her to the hallway.

It was not long until she was back in the familiar room that felt more like a prison than a bedroom. She glared at her current jailer. "Thank you," she bit out curtly.

"You are welcome, my Lady," the guard replied in a voice as smooth as amber, taking her hand and kissing the back of it quickly before taking his leave.

Linn sunk down on the bed and cast a longing look out the window, the sunset staining the sky a pink hue streaked with purple. She wondered if Josh was worried about her and was riddled with guilt. They had just lost their father and needed to be together more than ever and she had been kidnapped by a faery. Tears spilled down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Josh," she whispered. "I don't know how I got into this mess, but I'll get back to you."

* * *

><p>Donia could not believe that she had just caught Keenan—her Keenan—kissing Aislinn. She felt like she had been punched in the gut. Donia had a bitter taste in her mouth just at the thought. Of course he had kissed Ash; Ash was <em>perfect<em>. Ash was so freaking wonderful that not only did Seth adore her, but now Keenan did too. And where did that leave Donia? Alone.

Tears filled Donia's eyes and froze as they began to spill down her cheeks as she fled the scene, ignoring Keenan's pleas for her to wait, to let him explain.

She was going to finally let him in, finally open up to him about Seth and express her concerns about the changeling, and this is what she found. So be it. Keenan would be kept in the dark along with his precious Queen. Let him fawn over Aislinn just like Seth, he would pay for making Donia second-best. He would see.

She would show him.


	11. To Resent

**Hey there! I finally found time to update, hopefully it will happen more frequently now that summer has rolled around once more. Enjoy!**

**PS- A huge thank you to _confused-Luna_ for pointing out my error with Keenan's parents, I will be fixing that shortly**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked Lovely.**

* * *

><p>Keenan stared doorway that Donia had just run through, his heart dropping to his stomach. He let his head drop, letting out a sigh. No matter what he did, something always seemed to be going horribly wrong. He stayed like that, unable to face Ash in the wake of Donia's interruption. It was a wake-up call to the situation that they were in, and Keenan wasn't sure if he was ready for it. If he could just go after Donia and explain himself, maybe he could set things right…<p>

"Keenan," Aislinn's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "I know that this isn't easy for you," she paused, steeling herself for her next words. "I am not going to pretend that everything will magically work itself out so that no one gets hurt, because it most likely won't." She touched his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her.

"What am I supposed to do? I have so many responsibilities and so little room for error." Keenan shook his head.

"I am not saying that it will be easy, Keenan. I telling you that things cannot go on as they have in the past. Circumstances have changed." She stared intently at him, "You need to make a choice. I know that you care for Donia, of course you do. She has always loved you and been there for you and I haven't. Whatever this is between the two of us is new and relatively easy to break off if you choose her."

Keenan opened his mouth to speak but could not find anything to say in the face of her honesty.

"But it helps no one by leaving the two of us in the middle. Until you decide I cannot give you my heart and Donia can't let you go." With that Ash left him to his thoughts, leaving out the same door. The Summer King ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He knew that she was right, but how in the blazes was he supposed to make such a decision? Donia had been there through his despair of waiting for his Queen, if somewhat unwillingly. They had been together since that night when Ash and Seth had set them up shortly after Beira's death, half a century ago. Their shared history was hard to ignore, especially overcoming their opposing natures for love.

But then there was Aislinn, the very being that Fate had designed to rule with him for all eternity. Now he finally had a chance to see what they could be together. Could he really afford not to take it? He knew he would get only one chance, for her heart could only endure being broken so many times.

He hadn't expected to be able to keep both of them, and now was the moment he would determine his future. He walked towards the door.

* * *

><p>"Tell me, Evan. What made you betray your own regent?" Cyrus asked after the archer led the human girl away.<p>

Evan gritted his teeth in frustration, reminded of his own foolishness being blinded by love. "I was deceived by the Winter Queen," he bit out. "I did not know I was to play the role of assassin."

The blonde faery raised his eyebrows, "Donia wishes to kill the Summer Queen? For what reason?"

"Keenan and Donia are lovers," said Evan a tad too harshly.

A knowing smile crossed Cyrus's face and he shook his head indulgently at Evan. "She is jealous of Aislinn just as you are jealous of Keenan. You love the Winter Queen, don't you, boy? You would have done anything for her no questions asked. Ah, to feel unrequited love. You really didn't stand a chance did you, poor chap?"

Evan clenched his fist and ducked his head slightly to hide his stinging pride. Cyrus chuckled. "Yes I will have a great deal of use for you, my friend. You were a member of the Royal Guard, were you not?" he stated more than asked.

Evan nodded stiffly.

"Good lad," Cyrus purred. "You will now be Aislinn's personal guard. Should you fail I will kill you in the most painful manner I can think of. This includes guarding her from herself and preventing her escape. Consider this your test of loyalty, do I make myself clear?" he asked with a slight sneer.

"Aislinn, sir?" Evan asked. Surely he couldn't go guard the Summer Queen he had just tried to kill?

"Yes, Aislinn, or rather Linn. Not the Queen, but rather the daughter of Seth, the Queen's love. The girl who just left," Cyrus closed his eyes for a moment, as if savoring his next words, "my most prized possession."

Evan pitied the girl already, being no more than a trophy to the powerful faery in front of him. He shook himself of those thoughts. It would do him no good to dwell on such things when he was charged with ensuring her captivity under pain of death. He resolved to harden his heart. When had it done him any good anyhow? With his mind made he looked up at Cyrus. "I accept."

The pointed toothy grin on Cyrus's face was more frightening than comforting as he stood and gestured toward the hall that his new charge had been led down.

Linn had just wiped the last of her tears when a knock came at her door. She sniffled quietly and straightened up before walking over to carefully open the door, which strangely did not bring her any fear as it had the last time.

She was met with a grinning Cyrus and the man with skin that resembled tree bark. She flinched as Cyrus pushed the door open further and let himself in, brushing against her on his way. The tree man—Ethan?—waited patiently in the hallway for her permission. Wordlessly she stepped back and he gave a small nod before following Cyrus.

"Linn, darling," a pair of arms wound themselves around her waist, locking like steel bars. "This is Evan, your personal guard. Behave yourself and he will remain unharmed, cause a fuss and he shall pay the penalty, understood?"

Linn's stomach lurched at the implications that Cyrus was making. This Evan's life was in her hands. Her actions were not entirely her own any longer, and her guilt would ensure that she cooperated. She felt Cyrus's hair on her cheek as he whispered, "Perhaps you will think twice about leaving me, my little dove." He pressed his lips softly to her neck before releasing her. "I have business to attend to; I trust you two will acquaint yourselves whilst I am gone." Without another word he left, shutting the door firmly behind him.

Linn couldn't find any words to say, hating herself for still thinking of escape plans despite knowing that this poor soul would be harmed if she ever left. Maybe it would be better not to be friendly towards him. No, she decided, it was not his fault that she was being kept here and as such he should not be treated as an enemy.

"Hello. I am sorry that you are being kept here, but it is my duty to ensure your safety," Evan said quietly.

"Thank you," she said. She extended her hand for him to shake, "My name is Aislinn Morgan, but you can call me Linn."

He shook her hand lightly, "Evan."

She raised an eyebrow, "You don't have a last name?"

"True names are very powerful and dangerous. One does not give them out lightly. Evan is what I am called, but it is not my name," he explained. Linn still did not quite understand the difference but she dropped the subject.

"Why did they call you a traitor?" Linn asked, crossing the room to sit on her bed. She patted a space close to her.

"I was given an assignment to give a gift to my Queen that almost killed her," he said. Seeing her look of horror he quickly added, "I did not know, it was not my intention. I was only trying to gain the favor of a woman who did not wish to give it." He spoke quickly, though whether to gloss over details or convince her of them, she wasn't sure.

"I would tell you my story but I don't even know what it is. All I know is that I was at a park and blacked out for three days. A little while later I was kidnapped by Cyrus and dragged into the woods with creatures that I don't even think are human and am told that I will be staying here forever." Her voice had gotten louder and more upset as she had continued her story but by the end her voice had cracked and it was clear that she was on the verge of tears, "I am scared and alone and I didn't even get to say goodbye to my brother." A tear rolled down her cheek and her bottom lip trembled but she did not allow herself to break down in front of him.

She didn't look at Evan, knowing she would see pity on his face which was the last thing she wanted to see. Instead she wiped the heel of her hand across her eye and took a deep breath. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I am not sure that I want to be your friend just in case I accidentally end up getting you hurt."

Evan touched her shoulder gently, "I understand. Circumstances being what they are, I am not sure either of us would benefit from _friendship_, but," he paused, "what about allies?"

She looked at him suspiciously, "We shall see."

* * *

><p>Ash left Keenan to make his decision but found herself with nowhere to go. After wandering around the town for a while she decided to look in on Joshua. The last she was told he was still staying in Seth's house with his girlfriend and son and she was eager to see him again.<p>

She rounded a corner that led to the small house and was shocked to see Donia in the exact perch that Ash herself intended to occupy, peering in at the family. To her knowledge, Donia had never been terribly interested in Seth's life or his children, so why would she be there now, especially considering that she was most likely upset with Ash.

Her protective instincts flared to life. She would be damned if she would let Donia hurt Seth's babies out of spite. A wind picked up around the Summer Queen as she marched over to Donia, focused and ready for conflict. "Leave them alone, Donia," she warned, alerting the Winter Queen to her presence.

Donia snapped her head in Aislinn's direction, her white blonde hair partially hiding her face due to Aislinn's temperamental wind. "Why are you here?" Donia accused harshly.

"Look," she started, "I know you are upset with me, but that is no reason to hurt Seth's children."

Donia let out a mocking laugh. "I should have guessed that would be your first thought. That I would want to hurt _you_; that I would even care enough about you to ensure your suffering." She gave Aislinn a disdainful look, "You're pathetic. To have had a chance with Seth, to give him happiness but instead robbed him of it. Now that he is gone you have decided that Keenan will suit your fancy for a while. After all," she sneered, "who could resist the lovely Aislinn, Queen of Summer?"

Ash felt like Donia had just slapped her. She had had no idea that the other Queen held so much anger towards her. "Donia, I—"

"Save it," Donia ordered. "I don't expect you to understand what you did because you were never here when he needed you. But do not _dare _to presume that you are the only one who cared about Seth or his family," she spat.

"How long?" asked Aislinn. "How long have you been hiding this?" She met Donia's cold stare.

"Long enough to be there for him when you abandoned him. Long enough to see how you broke him. Long enough to hate you for what you did to him," she said calmly.

It was Aislinn's turn to be angry. "Everything I did was _for_ him, for his happiness!" she roared. "You don't think that a piece of me died every time I watched him live his life without me? I couldn't give him what he deserved so I let him go," she fumed. "I loved him with my entire soul and you will _not_ condemn me for my actions. You have no right."

Donia's nostrils flared in anger, freezing the air with every breath she took. "If you loved him that deeply then why is it that you can go to Keenan so freely? Doesn't his memory mean anything to you? He died with a broken heart that never healed and if he could see you right now he would be crushed." Her voice cracked on the last word and Ash thought she spotted an icy tear in her eye.

Aislinn finally understood. Donia had fallen in love with Seth, but had been denied his heart because part of Seth had never fallen out of love with Ash. Irrational jealousy flared briefly at the thought of how much time Donia had spent trying to win Seth's affection in her absence but she tampered it down with the reminder that it was Aislinn's own decision to let Seth go. She understood where Donia was coming from, but that did not mean she agreed with her.

"I think it would be best if you left now, Donia. I came here to check on Joshua and Aislinn and I will not tolerate your interference," she said formally.

Donia laughed bitterly. "Yes, pretend like you care, Aislinn. Never mind that your perfect faery-free world for Seth and his children has been shattered," she said, brushing past the other Queen, leaving icy burns wherever she touched. "Do take a good long look at Dexter while you are at it." She turned to point at the window that she had been looking in with a cruel, sickly-sweet smile.

Ash watched her as she left, not allowing any emotion to reach her face until the Winter Queen was out of sight. She shook her head, trying to clear her racing thoughts and walked to the window. As she peered in, she saw Joshua rocking little Dexter to sleep, looking slightly preoccupied.

Her heart melted at the familiar features that resembled Seth's so closely with his dark hair and calm countenance. She watched as his brows drew together in deep concentration as the boy finally succumbed to sleep. He seemed just on the verge of inspiration when the girlfriend walked in the room, Ash could not seem to remember her name.

The blonde woman slowly ran her fingers through Joshua's hair, her fingers making their way to massage his temples. Aislinn gasped as she saw the familiar look of glassy eyed content wash over his face. She was using glamour on him, controlling his mind with her power, which meant that she was a faery, and not one to be trusted.

Quickly she spun and fled the scene, unsure of her next move but feeling as though Seth's children were in danger.

* * *

><p>Unknown to Aislinn, Melinda had heard her gasp and had trained her clear blue eyes on the window, watching the Summer Queen's retreat. She narrowed her eyes; Cyrus would need to be informed of this new development before it threw a wrench in all of her King's careful planning.<p>

For now she would continue as she had ever since she had met Joshua, keeping him close and docile, leashed to her side with a child. Because really, who better to convince little Linn of her place than her beloved brother. It wouldn't be long now before everything fell into place.

As long as they silenced the little Queen before she became a nuisance.

Joshua looked up at her with a lazy grin, still feeling the effects of her glamour and she returned it. Thankfully she really did care for the man, making her job that much easier. She planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "My dear, sweet Joshua, you won't even know what hit you, much less any reason why." She smoothed his hair down, "Maybe at the end of all of this I will even get to keep you."

If he survived, that is.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! Showdown of the Queens! Well that is all for now, folks, but please review! I love hearing your feedback and it only takes a moment.<strong>

**Until next time,**

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	12. To Find Danger

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked Lovely**

* * *

><p>Donia walked with a practiced poise and her head held high, her strides befitting her station as Queen despite the fact that she felt anything but regal at the moment. Her mind raced with ugly thoughts as she made her grand exit from her confrontation with the <em>darling<em> Summer Queen. How could she have been so impulsive as to yell at Aislinn? Now it was only too obvious who would have motive to send an assassin after the Summer regent. Donia cursed her own foolishness. No matter how satisfying it had been to see the great and powerful Ash knocked down a peg as her sins were laid out in front of her, Donia had no doubt caused more trouble for herself by giving in to mortal emotions that she had believed to be long past frozen. She had just been so _angry. _

_Not only angry_, Donia thought vehemently as she went out of her way to crush an anthill under her boot, _but jealous._

She didn't know where her feet were taking her until she literally ran into Keenan. She nearly stumbled backwards with the force of it but Keenan's arm shot out to grasp her arm and steady her. Donia looked up at him blankly. He looked uncomfortable, releasing her arm and tucking his hands neatly behind his back and looking towards the ground. She watched as he readied himself for her fury, his whole frame tensing; bracing for impact.

Donia let out a weary sigh. She was tired of being angry, and though heavens knew that Keenan deserved a good thrashing, right now all Donia wanted to do was go home and lick her wounds in solitude.

"Excuse me, Keenan," she said dully, stepping to the side. "Aislinn is back there somewhere, I just left her."

"Wait, Donia!" he called, putting himself in her way again, "You didn't hurt her did you?"

Donia scowled, "Not physically so you don't have to worry. Your little lover bears no marks from my hands, all I did was show her what she refused to see." Keenan looked hesitant, searching her face. "She is fine, now please leave me alone, you owe me at least that much," she muttered before trying to brush by him once more.

"Please, Don, I'm sorry. Let me explain," he implored, keeping pace with her as she continued on her way.

"What is there to explain, Keenan? You were _kissing_ her. Do you really think anything that you can say to me right now would make that okay?" She felt the tears coming to her eyes and furiously tried to blink them away before they would betray her.

"Look, Donia, I love you, I really do," he hesitated, "but it's not fair to you to keep this going when we both know that my court deserves a true king. They need me with Aislinn, Don, and your court will be better off this way too."

"Don't give me that, Keenan. You know that your excuses sound hollow even to yourself. Admit it, you _want_ to be with her now that she has no other choice! You think this is about your _court?_ Spare me, Keenan. You've always been a better lover than a liar, and I am tired of listening." And with that she closed her heart to the Summer king forever, freezing it to the core. Love was weakness, she should have learned that sooner, but a frozen heart was better than a broken one, and all that was left for her to do was to make sure the rest of the world knew what foolishness it was to fall in love. Donia summoned her fearsome frost, her palms nearly glowing in their ice-encased gloves.

Keenan eyed them warily, his expression torn between wary and resigned. "I'm _sorry,_ Don. Don't hate me, don't spoil all of our good memories with bitterness, you're too good for that." He reached out to touch her cheek and winced at the frigid temperature.

"Leave me _alone, _Keenan," she spat with venom. "Go to Aislinn, your perfect little queen of Summer." Donia summoned more power to her hands and began channeling it through the air around them. "In fact, that's where you _should_ be, snuggled pathetically together for warmth. It's about time we had a proper winter around here, isn't it?" she sneered as she brushed him aside for the final time.

"Donia, it's March. Isn't it a little late to be unleashing a blizzard?" Keenan reasoned.

"Stop me if you can," she called over her shoulder as the wind began to howl.

* * *

><p>"Miss, if you would <em>kindly<em> do us both a favor and sit down, I would certainly appreciate it," said Evan. He was watching her from the corner of the room, his arms folded over the back of the chair he was straddling. His brown eyes never left her petite form as it paced back and forth. "And even if you are planning a grand escape, you'll never get through that door."

Linn's ears perked up and she paused. He chuckled as she snuck a glance at the door and then turned to face him. "Oh?" she challenged. "And why not? I'm perfectly capable of picking a lock." She was a terrible liar, but Evan couldn't help but find her bravado endearing. He decided to indulge her.

"Even if you could," he gave her a dubious look and she blushed, "you wouldn't get close enough to touch the lock. In fact, you would probably go hide under the covers for an hour if you even laid a finger on it."

Linn's jaw dropped. "Why? How do you know?" She walked closer to his chair and knelt in front of him, her wide brown eyes staring intently at his. "So I'm not crazy?"

Evan hesitated, realizing too late that he had said too much. "No, you're not crazy. Just very unlucky, I suppose." She looked confused, so he elaborated. "You seem to have attracted some dangerous attention towards yourself. Not many have the kind of power that Cyrus does. He put a fear ward on the door against you and he is the only one who can take it off." Linn shot a glance at the door and shuddered.

"I am not even sure what it is he wants from me," she whispered. "I can't help but feel like he is going to hurt me. He's so _dangerous,"_ she confessed.

Evan's heart gave a small lurch. She was an innocent girl thrown into a world that she could never hope to be prepared for. A sacrificial lamb in the clutches of the big bad wolf. He cursed his fool heart, losing his head over a girl who needed protecting, wanting to be the hero. He was in serious danger of making a fool of himself..._again._

"I will not," he declared, too quietly for his charge to hear. He straightened. "Stay here, I will get you some water." Without a glance backward he walked out the door, ignoring Linn's soft plea to wait. He knew if she started to cry he would cave and try to help her. He could not afford to make her his weakness.

As the door closed softly behind her guard, Linn sighed and flopped on the bed. She really needed to get out of this God-forsaken room or it would drive her insane. She and Evan had spent the last day and a half cooped up in the cozy prison cell where Cyrus could "make sure Evan was capable of handling her." Just thinking about Cyrus gave Linn chills. She was growing more and more certain that the longer it took for her to escape, the slimmer her chances of leaving became. Linn propped her chin up with a fist and irritably blew a stubborn lock of hair out of her eyes.

"I should have gotten it cut before the funeral," she muttered. Linn's brows furrowed, whose funeral had she been to? She couldn't seem to remember. Her eyes began to scan the room, looking for something to jog her memory. She brought her fingers up to her temples and gently began to massage them. The harder she racked her brain for answers, the fuzzier her thoughts became. Her gut clenched. "I have to get out of here," she whimpered.

* * *

><p>Evan walked around the fortress-like house, looking for the kitchen. He did not know how long Linn had been there for, but since he had been around, she had only picked at the food she had been given, eyeing it with distrust before braving only a bite or two. It was clear that she could not keep it up and stay healthy so Evan decided to bring her something prepackaged to try and entice her to eat. It was obvious that one she was afraid of tainted food, and seeing as he was a wanted fugitive himself, he could certainly empathize. Besides, it couldn't do any harm to try and earn the girl's trust-after all, she really held his life in her hands. Better safe than sorry.<p>

He walked silently down the many hallways, listening for the telltale clatter of cooking ware. The large floor plan was confusing and difficult to find your way around if you did not know where you were going and Evan suspected it was designed that way purposefully. In all honesty, it was probably another measure to ensure that the younger Aislinn could not escape, making Evan wonder why she was so coveted by the faery in charge. Sure, she was beautiful in an innocent, delicate way, but she was still just a mortal. Playthings were common enough, but usually the mortals were willing. It didn't make any sense.

Evan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and shaking his head. She was nothing but his charge, and that was the end of it. He had enough enemies as it was, and meddling in the affairs of people with power was something that could very well get him killed. Hadn't he learned his lesson?

"She knows, sire," a feminine voice said nearby. "I spotted her watching the house. I used my glamour on Joshua-it was necessary," she defended quickly. "The Queen saw and fled."

"And what of the changeling?" Evan froze. That was Cyrus' voice. If Evan was caught eavesdropping, he would be punished. He slunk over to the wall and pressed his back up against it, hiding. He was under no illusions of his value, knowledge of the Courts or not, he was expendable. As he debated his options, the voices continued.

"Joshua adores little Dexter," the woman gushed, "it's a shame that we can't keep him."

"The boy or the man?" Cyrus's voice held cool amusement. "You cannot have both, my dear. You know the effect changelings have on feeble mortal minds."

Silence.

"Never mind, we shall deal with that later. So the Summer Queen knows that something is amiss. Was anyone with her?"

"No, my Lord. None that I could see."

"Good. Give her our message and bring dear old big brother here. It seems we must push our plans forward sooner than I anticipated. Tell the bowmen to begin gathering our forces, but to be subtle about it. No need to tip our hand. You are dismissed."

Evan heard the staccato footsteps walking away and waited on bated breath as he crept down the plastered to the wall. He stole a glance to the side, only to be confronted with Cyrus, staring down at him with unreadable eyes. Evan's throat tightened in fear.

"What are you doing, Evan?" Cyrus asked conversationally. "Eavesdropping? Scheming? Stumbling upon things you shouldn't?"

Evan felt his face grow hot. "I was trying to find something for Linn to eat," he admitted, eyes to the floor. "I got lost."

Cyrus hummed thoughtfully. "Now I do believe you about that, and we can overlook the fact that you disobeyed my orders by leaving her in the first place and move straight on to the fact that you _were _listening in on my companion and I weren't you?" He pinned Evan with an accusing stare.

"I was going to leave, but I thought you would catch me and think I was spying," he explained. "And then you did anyway," he finished lamely.

"This is _my_ fortress, chap, I know everything that goes on here. You would do well to remember it." A knowing gleam entered the faery's intense green eyes as he pulled Evan forward, the front of his shirt clenched in his fist. "You should also remember what kind of trouble love got you in before you start sniffing about _my_ prize. She is off limits," he snarled.

Evan's eyes grew wide. "I-I know that, sir. Believe me, I wasn't—"

"Of course not," Cyrus interrupted smoothly, his expression calm and pleasant once more, as if someone had flipped a switch. "Now," he said, releasing Evan's shirt from his grasp, "why is Linn not eating?"

Evan tugged the bottom of his shirt, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles left by Cyrus's death-grip. "I think she is afraid that the food has been tainted. She doesn't trust it," he said plainly.

Cyrus chuckled, "Clever girl. I suppose I will have to visit her and rectify the situation. But, before that," he turned his attention back to the guard before him, "I must warn you. We may be expecting the Summer Queen to be paying us a visit soon. You will not make any contact with her whatsoever and you will stay out of sight, is that clear? The last thing I need is for Keenan to charge in here before it is time just so he can kill you." When Evan nodded, the taller faery patted his head condescendingly. "Now run along, you won't be needed for the rest of the day."

Evan should have been pleased at the freedom, especially after he had been caught listening in on the master of this establishment, but when he saw the terrible smile on Cyrus's face as he turned towards Linn's room, Evan couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach.

* * *

><p>Aislinn's head was still reeling from the weight of her discovery as she sat on a bench in an abandoned park. All the heartbreak and suffering had been for nothing, in the end. She had stayed away to keep them safe, to keep them happy and blissfully unaware and yet she had failed them. Failed Seth.<p>

"Donia was right," she whispered to the open air, "he would be crushed if he could see me now." Guilt weighed heavily on her chest. If she had known what it would mean to give him up, had known what the consequences for him would be… Well, she couldn't change the past, no matter how much she wanted to. Seth was dead, she was the only one left to protect his children. And so she _would. _Fire lit in the young Queen's eyes even as the air grew colder with the promise of a snowstorm.

"Aislinn? Is that you?" Keenan's voice called out from somewhere behind her. Her eyes widened, she had not expected him to come back, to choose her over Donia. Her stomach gave a small flip and her lips twitched, fighting off a smile. Despite Donia's harsh words and accusations, it felt nice to be wanted again, after years of being alone and miserable.

"Yeah, I'm right here," she answered, turning towards his approaching figure. His face, taut with worry, melted into relief as he saw her unharmed.

"What were you thinking?" he asked, exasperated. "Did you forget that you've had an attempt on your life and the culprit is still at large?"

Aislinn rolled her eyes. "I don't care about the puppet, he was following orders from Donia."

Keenan recoiled as if he had been struck. "She told you that? Why would she want to kill you?"

"She's jealous," Aislinn sighed. "First Seth, now you, she can't catch a break."

"What do you mean?" Keenan asked, an awful feeling was creeping in his gut. "Seth?"

Aislinn looked at him with apologetic eyes. "She loved Seth, too. They might have been lovers, but I know that she hates me for breaking his heart."

Keenan felt betrayed. He backed up a few steps. "You're lying, Donia was in love with _me_. She took up the staff for me!"

"And lost," she reminded him gently. She stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "Keenan, I think she loves you too, but she tried to kill me over him."

Keenan's jaw clenched. Even with the doubt nagging at his mind, in his heart the words rang true. Perhaps this was his due for the hearts he had broken over the years, to feel this pain at the hands of one he thought had loved him, but had betrayed him instead. He could not even go to her and demand an explanation, because it could be seen as an act of war.

Aislinn's arms snuck around his waist as she squeezed him tightly, giving him the comfort he hadn't even known he had sought. He hugged her back, burying his face in her hair even as he felt his heart cracking into pieces. She felt so fragile in his arms, it was obvious she had still not fully recovered from the toxin that she had been poisoned with.

The toxin that _Donia_ had meant to kill her with. Anger overrode the hurt.

"Aislinn, we cannot let her get away with trying to kill you."

"What would you do? You can't kill her, Keenan," she protested.

He hesitated. She was right, what could he threaten Donia with? He would never seriously harm her, and they all knew it. "I don't know, but I will make it right. I swear it."

Aislinn reached up and kissed him. "All I need to know is that you choose me. We can heal together," she said, moving one of her hands to rest against his heart.

Keenan swooped down to kiss her once more, his hand covering her own on his chest. Healing was exactly what they needed.

* * *

><p>Melinda watched as the regents of Summer comforted themselves. The romantic in her smiled at the touching scene. Maybe that was what love really looked like, not passion and flirting, but in healing the heartbreak. She frowned as she thought of Joshua, her poor clueless Joshua. The thought of his face, so kind and caring and utterly oblivious made her heart ache. She had never intended to actually care for him. He was supposed to be a tool, a means to an end, just as Cyrus had instructed must happen. The real goal was far grander in design to be worried over one mortal's life which was fleeting even when allowed to run its course. Still, would she be able to kill him? She didn't know. Even so, she still had a job to do.<p>

Melinda stepped forward from her hiding place among the foliage, lifting her glamour and making her presence known. The lovers broke apart quickly, as if caught causing mischief. She held up her hands in peace.

Immediately, the Summer Queen recognized her, her features contorting into an ugly snarl, "_You!"_

"Please, your majesty, I mean you no harm. I am merely here to deliver a message to you," she gave Keenan a pointe look. "Only you, I'm afraid."

The young King bristled, straightening his posture to tower over Melinda. "You dare?" he asked coldly.

"Keenan, please. If she needs to deliver a message then we will let her deliver it," Aislinn said calmly. "Besides," she added, her voice growing sharper with veiled threat, "she certainly has some explaining to do."

"Ash, the last time you—" Keenan protested.

"I know," she interrupted smoothly. "We will not be out of eyesight, merely out of earshot," she said in a tone that brooked no argument. "Lead on," she ordered curtly.

* * *

><p>Cyrus strolled into Linn's room casually, ignoring her small squeak of surprise and flushing cheeks. He didn't say a word as he strode over to the bed and sat himself down gracefully, looking quite comfortable. Linn watched him from the corner of the room, sitting in the chair that Evan had vacated, wide eyed and waiting.<p>

A minute passed in silence as Cyrus waited for her to break the silence, unhurried and expectant. He could feel her eyes on him, giving him a small urge to preen and show her his power and superiority. He didn't though, simply let her stare.

"Was there, um, something you wanted?" she asked very quietly; apprehensively. He pretended not to hear her. She cleared her throat noisily, "Um, Cyrus?" she said a little louder, "Why are you in here? Where's Evan?"

Cyrus looked over at her, their eyes meeting for a long moment before Linn cast her gaze to the floor. "Can I not drop in on you, my love? See how you are adjusting and make sure you are not causing trouble?" Linn didn't give an answer, but then Cyrus hadn't expected her to.

He patted the space on the bed next to him invitingly. "Come sit, darling. We've something to discuss, you and I." When she didn't comply, he raised his eyebrow at her, "It will be much more pleasant for the both of us if you would simply do things when I ask you to rather than force you to."

"You didn't even ask in the first place," she muttered irritably as she approached the spot he had indicated.

He waved his hand, "Semantics." Once she was seated, his hand shot out to grab hold of her neck. His grip was gentle, but the suddenness made Linn whimper in fright. "Little Linn, why haven't you been eating?" Cyrus's use of her old nickname made her stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Don't call me that," she said defiantly.

"And why not, my sweet? What do you find objectionable?" He was testing her, it was clear, but she did not know what he was playing at.

"I just don't like it," she insisted, pushing away the nagging feeling that there was a good reason that he shouldn't call her that, but she just couldn't _remember_. A small smirk appeared on his face and Linn knew that she had said the wrong thing.

"Regardless, you're avoiding the subject. Are you trying to starve yourself?" he asked, stroking the column of her throat with wide brushes of his thumb, making Linn shiver.

"No, I am just not hungry," Linn defended, drawing a frighteningly inhuman growl from the faery sitting next to her. She trembled.

"Do not _lie_ to me Aislinn Jean Morgan!" he warned in a dangerous voice.

Linn trembled under the weight of his anger as his green eyes bored into her. "I thought you would poison my food," she blurted out quickly, trying to jerk out of his grasp.

Her efforts were in vain, and he pulled her closer until their faces were inches apart. "If I wanted to poison you, there would be nothing you could do to stop me," he said quietly. "I commend you on your foresight, but let us get one thing straight, my dear. You belong to _me_ and have since you were a little girl." Linn looked at him as if he had grown a second head, but still he continued on. "Yes, Little Linn, I have known that you were the key for a very long time. I know your likes, dislikes, fears, hopes, _everything_. I have watched you grow from a whimsical little girl to a beautiful woman with a strong spirit, but make no mistake, you are _mine_.

Linn narrowed her eyes, and he cut off her protests with a punishing kiss, only to recoil when she bit his lip, drawing blood. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smiling faintly at the red smear that appeared. He looked up to his little captive who was glaring at him.

"You can't bully me into compliance," she spat. "I am my _own_ and I don't owe you anything." As she spoke, her voice became louder, bolder. He couldn't help but marvel at what a magnificent creature she had become, nearly perfect for him. He watched as her tongue flicked absently to clean his blood off of her lips and had to suppress a triumphant grin. A bond, through the mingling of lifeblood had been forged with that small gesture and though it was very weak he would ensure that it would not be broken.

"…and this has gone on far enough!" Linn shouted, bringing his attention back to her. "I demand that you let me go and leave me alone."

Cyrus chuckled. "Darling, will you ever cease to amuse me? You speak as if you get to make the decisions around here. Shall I tell you a secret? You may dislike me now, but soon you will stay here by choice, right at my side." He grinned at her look of disbelief and kissed her cheek softly before whispering in her ear. "You won't even remember living any other way, and I assure you, you will _enjoy it."_

He heard her sniffle as her warm wet tears fell down on his neck.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it. Hopefully things will start to pick up from here. We're getting into the thick of it. <strong>

**Just a warning, I will be editing this very soon and replacing the chapters with the corrected versions. Nothing much will have changed, other than the story that Cyrus tells Linn. If you don't want to go back, basically the only real change is that Cyrus was born _before_ Keenan (in keeping with the story that Beira killed Miach before Keenan was born that I accidentally overlooked the first time that was kindly pointed out to me) and also that Cyrus somehow bound Linn to him when she was a baby, though we do not know the specifics yet. **

**Anyway, that's what's coming up, so for those of you folowing the story, I apologize for the flood of emails. :)**

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


	13. To Escape

**Disclaimer: I don't own Wicked Lovely**

* * *

><p>Donia wandered through the forest, most of her rage abated since her encounter with Keenan, though the snowstorm was gaining momentum as sleet flew through the air. She wasn't quite sure what to do with the current situation. Her fingers reached for the vial of poison still in her possession and she squeezed the smooth glass lightly. It was not looking like she would have an opportunity to use it without provoking a war that would devastate her court. She sighed, looking to the trees as if they would provide her with counsel.<p>

A shock of dark green hair and the faint sound of whispering leaves caught her attention as something moved behind a tree. Immediately Donia threw up a glamour to shield herself. She had given up on her wayward rowan man, and yet she had stumbled right across him. He seemed rather preoccupied, lost in his thoughts as he paced. His lips were moving, but Donia could not discern what it was he was mumbling about, not that she really cared.

Slowly, she began to approach him, being careful to stay undetected. As she got closer, his words became clearer.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid. You learned your lesson with Donia. She's just a girl," he said firmly. "You cannot fall in love with her."

Donia felt an unpleasant twinge of jealousy and frowned. Surely she was not _that_ easy to get over, was she? Evan was supposed to be her loyal dog, always there when she wanted him and always plainly adoring. Brows furrowed, she listened more closely.

"Even if I could help her, he would kill me. And where would she go? She's only mortal," he made a noise of frustration. Donia decided that she had heard enough and revealed herself.

"Evan," she called. Instantly, the guard's body went taut and his head snapped in her direction. She watched as he scrambled for a weapon in his belt that seemed to be missing.

"My Lady," he answered in a strained voice.

Donia approached him with a seductive sway in her hips and a come hither smile. "Oh Evan, I've been worried sick. I thought something had happened to you when you did not return home to me." She knew she was laying it on a bit thick, but her wounded ego needed stroking and her love struck puppy would do just fine. She reached out a pale hand to stroke his face.

Evan's thoughts were in turmoil. She had said the word _home_ like a promise and it made his heart ache, even though he had told himself that he stopped loving her. His eyes closed unwillingly under her soft touch. "Why did you want to kill the Summer Queen?" he asked, desperately trying to kill the mood to clear his head while still determined to get some answers. "You and Keenan were—"

The hand on his face began to burn with cold as she punished him. He looked at her ice blue eyes and saw anger in them. "Do not speak of the Summer Court to me, rowan," she warned. "My reasons are my own, but it does not change the fact that you failed me. I should kill you for that alone."

Evan swallowed hard, and nodded in acceptance. "You meant for me to die either way, my Queen." He tried to hide the blatant hurt from his eyes; knowing she would only laugh in his face.

Donia removed her hand from his face and moved it to his bicep where she squeezed experimentally. "Oh, Evan," she sighed. "So handsome, so loyal," she looked up at him with half lidded eyes, "so in _love_ with me. How could I not have sent you? You were the only one I could trust to unquestioningly do my bidding." She quirked the corners of her lips into a small smile. "You know," she added, running her hands up his chest and around his neck, "I think I will let you live. Now there is no reason to kill you, and you can come back to me. _My_ Summer fey," she murmured before wrenching his head down to meet him in a kiss that was bruising in its intensity. Evan could feel his lips blistering from her frigid skin and clenched his eyes shut tighter.

When she finally released him, Evan felt…_nothing._ No longing, no passion, just a feeling of aching emptiness. He thought of Linn, her shy little smiles and trusting brown eyes, and realized that Donia could never feel for him a fraction of what he was beginning to feel for Linn. He shook his head and a rueful smile overtook his features. How fickle love was.

Donia was still looking up at him smugly, waiting for him to fall at her feet. Gently, he disentangled himself from her arms. "Donia, I need to go, there is someone who needs me."

"Oh really?" she challenged, "And you think you love her? I heard you before, she's just a mortal, and she will die just like Seth!"

Evan hung his head. "I know. But this…fluttery joy, the rush I get just being around her…it's worth it, I think. Happiness," he simplified, "even if it's only for a while."

"Well, who is she?" Donia demanded.

"Her name is Aislinn, daughter of the Summer Queen's lover."

The young Queen was silent, mouth agape.

"Listen, I need to go back. She might be in trouble, Cyrus is planning something and I know she's in the thick of it. I'm sorry," he said and turned to leave.

"Wait." Bony fingers gripped his arm. "Seth's Linn is in danger?" She looked confused, but Evan was not feeling patient. He tried to wrench his arm out of her grasp, but she held firm.

"You will take me to her and in return I will not kill you," she said calmly.

* * *

><p>"Speak," Aislinn ordered harshly, her eyes hard and unforgiving.<p>

"I come bearing a message from Cyrus, my lord and master. He wishes to speak with you concerning the mortal Seth's children." Melinda tried to keep her words calm and even in the face of the Queen's fury.

"How interesting," she all but snarled, "because that's exactly what I wanted to discuss with _you._ What are you doing to Joshua and what is wrong with Dexter?"

"Nothing is _wrong_ with Dexter," Melinda wasn't sure how much she was allowed to reveal about the plans that were in motion, and so instead decided to change the subject. "I believe most of your questions can be answered by Cyrus, but you must come alone and not reveal any of what I have told you to your King or you will never see Seth's daughter again."

Aislinn narrowed her eyes, "Are you threatening me? I could _destroy_ you."

"But then you would never find Linn," Melinda answered with a touch of smugness.

The Queen glanced back at Keenan who was watching them intently. After a moment of contemplation, she sighed. "I will be right back. Stay here."

Melinda watched as the Summer Queen strode over to quarrel with her King. He shone brightly in his agitation, and she matched him perfectly. The moment she saw golden tears begin to fall down Aislinn's face, she knew it was over. Sure enough, he kissed her lightly on the forehead before shooting Melinda a scathing look. Melinda gestured for the Queen to follow her and strode confidently into the forest.

Aislinn walked behind the blonde fey in front of her with a growing sense of foreboding as they made their way deeper into the forest. She had never gone this way before, and she wasn't sure she could find her way back alone and she had lived here for most of her life. Poor Linn who had only been here a few weeks wouldn't have a prayer of making it to safety.

After they had walked for what seemed like an hour, the faery leading motioned for Aislinn to stop and then held out her hands with her fingers splayed out into the forest before them. She watched as the world in front of them rippled and blurred. Melinda's face pinched in concentration as she pushed her hands outward very slowly and Aislinn gasped as reality seemed to _split._

"Go," Melinda ordered, nodding towards the small opening she had created. With only a moment of hesitation, Aislinn took a deep breath and skittered through. Melinda followed soon after, taking a moment to close the gap before they continued on their way.

"What _was_ that?" Aislinn asked.

"Glamour. A disguise, if you will. Surely you've used it before," said Melinda.

"Not _that_ much of it."

"Yes, well, Cyrus does like his theatrics," she said, her voice a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Small clusters of houses and buildings were beginning to appear and Aislinn couldn't help but stare. They were made mostly of wood, though she did see the occasional stone wall. They resembled more of cabins than houses, and none of them were above two stories. Unfamiliar fey milled about, some of them staring straight back at her. One in particular caught her eye as she gaped. It was massive, with legs as wide as dinner plates and skin the color of blood. She couldn't see any ears on the beast but instead two massive horns growing out the side of its head. It had a pronounced under bite, its bottom row of rotting teeth visible from a protruding jaw. It caught her staring and she noticed that its eyes were a solid black with no whiteness whatsoever. It flared its nostrils, black smoke escaping as a threatening growl permeated down to her very bones. Aislinn averted her gaze quickly and didn't do much sightseeing after that.

"We're nearly there," said Melinda. Aislinn looked up to find a large set of double doors in front of her. Brass snarling lion heads held round knockers in their maws. Melinda raised one, said a strange word and let it fall with a loud boom. The doors opened and Melinda beckoned her inside.

"Where's Linn?" Aislinn demanded as soon as they were inside. "What have you done with her and her brother? Take me to them."

"Easy there, Summer Queen," a new voice spoke from just behind her. "First, I think you and I have some things to discuss."

Aislinn whirled around, ready for a fight. The foe she was faced with made her lose some of her bravado. His startlingly intense green eyes seemed to stare into her soul as he looked down upon her from his tall frame. He quirked an eyebrow at her expression and then gave a mocking half-bow. "My name is Cyrus, master of this establishment. Welcome, Queen Aislinn."

Aislinn glared at him, crossing her arms. "So you're the one who kidnapped Linn? Where is she?"

"Let us discuss this somewhere more comfortable shall we?" Cyrus ushered her towards a cozy room on the left. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked pleasantly as she sat down on one of the comfortable armchairs.

"No, thank you," she said curtly.

"Melinda, you are dismissed," he said.

After she had left, Aislinn had regained enough of her composure and remembered enough of her etiquette lessons to grin and bear it.

"Cyrus, could you please explain the situation to me?" she asked nicely.

He watched her with amusement as she finally started acting like a Queen. "Well, my dear, I have a dilemma on my hands. Let me speak frankly, and do not interrupt. Linn and I are lovers, much like you and her late father. I do not wish to lose her to mortality, indeed, I can think of nothing more agonizing, a pain I'm sure you are acquainted with." The way he said it was conversational and detached, making Aislinn wonder if he knew the kind of damage he was inflicting on her with his words. Still he continued on, ignoring her flinch. "I am in need of your help in this matter, seeing as you were able to make the change from mortal to faery with relative ease. I want the same for my love."

She thought about that for a moment. He sounded completely sincere, and yet she had the feeling that he was lying through his teeth. She eyed him shrewdly before answering. "Well, I am not sure if I can help you. I am not knowledgeable on how to create such a spell like the one Beira and Irial cast over Keenan. I don't even know how it happened, really."

"And if I told you that I knew of another way?" Cyrus leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs at the ankles as he stretched out.

"I fail to see how you would need to bring me all the way out here for a problem you have already solved," she sniffed.

"Well, my dear, it seems that the answer lies in your cooperation. If you were to willingly give your power to Linn, I believe it would transform her much as it did you." His voice took on a philosophical tone, "Of course, there is no certainty, seeing as nothing of the sort has ever been attempted. It may not work at all, but since you were _given_ the power rather than _born_ with it, I believe you can give it up as well," he afforded her a glance, his blazing green eyes taking in her expression.

Aislinn still was not buying it, "Perhaps this is something I should discuss with Linn," she said firmly. "Even if I were to agree to such a thing, I will not force this on her as it was forced on me."

"Of course," he said smoothly, rising from his seat. He extended a hand to the young Queen and escorted her through winding hallways until they approached a door. Cyrus knocked lightly, "Linn, darling, you have a guest." Without another word of warning, he opened the door and crossed the threshold, only to freeze. From where her hand rested lightly in the crook of his elbow, she felt a surge of power that she could only describe as raw fury. She glanced at his face, which looked calm and unaffected, but for the storm in his green eyes. She looked around the room, confirming the obvious.

Linn was gone.

* * *

><p>"Hurry, we have to get out of here." Evan urged Linn forward, his hand firmly grasped around her forearm. Linn nodded and tried to get her feet to move faster, but she couldn't quite keep up with her companion. She had never been much of an athlete, but more importantly she was barefoot, and running through the forest <em>hurt.<em> A sharp rock dug into the soft flesh of her left foot and she gasped in pain, breaking away from his grip and hopping on one foot, muttering curses.

Evan looked back and grimaced. It was obvious that she would not be able to make it to safety fast enough that Cyrus would not catch them, especially without her shoes. The rowan man nodded to himself before bending down in front of Linn who was still examining her foot.

"Get on my back," he ordered. "You obviously can't run, and they will find out you are gone any minute." When she had not made any move to get on his back, he looked back at her. "_Now, Linn!_" he snapped.

Quickly she wrapped her arms around his neck and he took off like a shot, ignoring her squeak of surprise. "Why are you helping me?" she asked quietly in his ear. "If he catches us, he will kill you."

"It's the right thing to do," he explained. "You are innocent, and you don't deserve this. I have spent too much time following orders that I have always known were foolish. It is time I atoned for my sins."

Linn lowered her head to rest against his green hair in what she thought was a comforting gesture. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to his reasoning, she didn't want to pry, so instead she said, "I believe in forgiveness, Evan, and hopefully if there is any justice in this world, we will both earn it someday."

Evan grunted beneath her, but said nothing else as he focused on keeping a steady pace. They were quickly approaching the outer barrier to the encampment and he had no idea how he was going to get her out without setting off every triggering device on the wall of glamour. Admittedly, it was always easier to get out than it was to break in, especially since Cyrus hadn't discovered that Linn was gone yet, but the moment those spells turned on the defensive they were in big trouble.

He felt Linn's muscles tense and heard her gasp and he whirled around, only to see Donia glittering in white and riding on her behemoth wolf Sasha. The beast was swift, and within moments she had caught up to them, sparing Linn a warm smile as she dismounted.

"Aislinn Morgan, we meet at last," Donia held out her hand for Linn to shake and Evan allowed her to slip off his back.

Linn looked apprehensive, especially after watching Sasha yawn, displaying a deadly looking set of teeth. "Who are you, and why do you know me?" She didn't shake the stranger's hand, staring at her distrustfully.

"My name is Donia, and I am here to help you. I was a friend of your father's. Please, you must hurry, we don't have much time. I put a decoy glamour in your room but it won't last long." The blonde woman beckoned her forward, going so far as to touch her hand and Linn recoiled at the freezing temperature of her skin.

Linn looked back at Evan, who was scanning the area around them, clearly agitated. Linn moved over to stand beside him, feeling safer around his familiarity. "Look, I'm sorry, but I haven't exactly had the best track record with strangers as of late, so forgive me if I don't obey mindlessly. Evan has helped me this far and if he can't go them I won't be going."

Donia's nostrils flared in agitation. "Fine, just go before they find you. Sasha," she called to the wolf who appeared immediately at her side. "Please get her to safety, old friend." The wolf nodded its shaggy head and lowered himself enough that Linn could climb on.

"Evan, you will guard her with your life," Donia commanded harshly. "If she dies, you will not be far behind, I assure you."

Evan was struck with a sense of déjà vu at her words. Apparently Linn was of no use to anyone on either side if she was dead, and _he_ was of no use to anyone if she died. Not that he had ever intended to put her in harm's way, but it was still a sobering thought.

The barrier around them began to pulse unsteadily and Evan paled. "He knows," the rowan man warned Donia who was trying to tame the glamour in front of them.

"I _know_," she hissed, her arms beginning to tremble from the enormous amount of effort she was expending. Gritting her teeth, the Queen pushed at the magic in earnest, watching in satisfaction as a split appeared just barely big enough for the wolf and his burden to escape through.

The moment they escaped from view she let go, watching as the glamour slammed back with force. She almost fell to her knees in exhaustion, but at least Linn was safe. With a tired sigh, she watched as the barrier locked down and became neigh impenetrable.

She turned to head back towards the settlement of sorts and froze as she saw three fey archers with bows all aimed at her heart. They were nearly identical and unlike any faery she had ever come across before. Pushing her exhaustion to the side, she rustled up enough ire to straighten her posture and fix them with her most regal glare. "Excuse me, just what do you think you are doing?" she asked haughtily.

"Identify yourself, intruder," the one closest to her demanded.

"I am the Winter Queen, and I'll thank you to put away your weapons," she said frostily, noticing how they did not move an inch. She made an impatient gesture with her hands.

"And why would you be so far from your Court, Highness?" another one asked in an eerily similar tone.

Donia had to think fast to give Evan and Linn a fighting chance at escape. She brushed an imaginary speck of dust off of her glittering white sleeve as she thought. "I wished to meet your leader, my spies tell me things and I wish to know if he comes as friend or foe." It sounded convincing enough to her own ears, but she couldn't read their faces well enough to determine if they had bought her fib.

The one in the center seemed to think about it before loosening the taut string and moving forward to grasp her by the upper arm. "Very well, Winter Queen, you shall have an audience with our leader," he said tonelessly, then looked at her seriously. "The next time you or any of your Court trespass, there shall be no warning. The walls are up for a reason, or didn't you notice?"

Donia's heart plummeted, it was clear they didn't believe her. No matter, it would be good to know who she was up against anyway, so long as she made it to him in one piece. The hand grasping her arm was firm and slightly on the rough side, but Donia didn't dare complain. These guards did not seem the merciful type, and they outnumbered her.

As they walked, Donia realized just how alone she was. Seth was dead, Keenan didn't want her, and even _Evan_ had run off with someone else. She was in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar faces and she couldn't help but wonder why she was bothering at all. Who was she kidding? She should have known she was doomed to solitude the moment she picked up that god-forsaken staff. She stole a sideways glance at the guards around her again before straightening and brushing off the hand that was guiding her. It didn't matter, she decided. Come hell or high water, she _would_ have a happily ever after, or no one would.

It was that simple.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, here it is. Hope you enjoyed, as always review are welcomed and appreciated!<strong>

**~Chaotic-Masterpiece**


End file.
